Electricity
by Isabel Southwell
Summary: What if? We all know about the electricity between Edward and Bella. What if that was not just an Edward/Bella thing? What if it were a vampire/Bella thing? What would that mean?
1. Chapter 1

**AN.** So, here we go with another story! This one started as a way to have some more fun with Emmett & Co. (and as a way to feed my addiction to playing with the Cullens). It starts light and fluffy, but part way through the characters took over and made into a proper story - I think. Oh, and the Quileutes got involved as well. It is written in canon, except that the Quileutes are not werewolves.

This is a short preface to familiarise you (the reader) with our starting point in Twilight. I know it is very short. I am working hard to get the first real chapter up ASAP. Hopefully tonight!

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**Electricity**

**Attraction**

**Bella's POV**

It was the most curious thing. I think the attraction between Edward and I had been there from the very first touch; I just hadn't noticed it as I was concentrating on how cold he was, which I'd assumed was the result of the snowballs.

The van accident had happened so quickly that I could not be totally sure of anything, but Edward had been insufferable in the hospital. So maybe it wasn't so surprising, as Dr. Cullen walked in looking like sex on legs, that I felt some of the same attraction when he prodded my head with his fingers.

On the night Edward had rescued me in Port Angeles, I touched his hand in La Bella Italia and the sparks were still there.

When we sat in the darkened Biology classroom, watching a movie neither of us would remember, I could only wonder that the crackle of electricity between us was not audible. It was the first time we felt the attraction without actually touching—but not the last.

As our relationship progressed, I became more sensitive to the electricity and it sometimes seemed like more of a magnetic pull. As the contact between us increased, I was often painfully aware of his touch.

I would never forget the first visit to our meadow, when I had the opportunity to really get close to him. I had become so carried away stroking the skin on his hand and arm, which was sending tingles through my body, that I moved too close and scared him away. I know he had been feeling it too, and he was soon back for more.

Have you ever touched one of those lightning globes where the spark inside finds your hand where it rests against the glass? That is how it was when he ruffled my hair, and it moved with him from neck to cheek, throat, shoulders, and chest, where he listened to my heartbeat. As I took the chance to explore his face with my fingers and I felt his lips part at my touch, I realised there was a very good reason for panty liners and wished I'd thought to use some.

I guessed that seeing Edward in the sunlight, exploring his skin and face, feeling him exploring me, and all the electricity sparking around, it was not so out of character that I was worked up enough to mindlessly attack him when he kissed me. I must admit I hadn't ever felt like that before, so out of control—and so turned on.

**AN. Watch this space!**


	2. Chapter 2 Meet The Family

AN. I hope this chapter is up to standard, as I have sleep deprivation at the moment. lol

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My betas, Angel Eyes1 UK and EvilPumpkin have done a magnificent job, as usual. Thanks guys.

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**Disclaimer**. I wish I owned them, but I don't. SM rocks!

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**Meet the Family**

**Bella's POV**

Waking up and realising that Edward was there, I rushed into his arms. I was getting used to the electricity that flowed between us most of the time we spent together, but I was always thankful for "human moments", as I found my sweatpants would be going in the wash. The situation was not helped when he threw me over his shoulder and dumped me at the breakfast table. After downing a bowl of cereal, I ran upstairs to get dressed. After spending the day with Edward yesterday, I thought it would be prudent to slip a spare pair of panties in my pocket, knowing that I'd be around him too much today, as well.

I was so excited to see where the Cullens lived that I raced down the stairs and barrelled straight into Edward, who chose that moment to get fairly personal. As he pressed his lips to my forehead I shivered with electricity. Before I knew it, his fingers were running down my spine and his lips moved to cover my mouth—there went another pair of underwear. As he parted his lips I briefly lost consciousness; after convincing Edward that I was fine and just needed to splash some cold water on my face, I returned to the bathroom to change my panties and made a mental note to buy some more.

The ride to the Cullen house was uneventful, but as soon as we arrived, Edward took my hand and began to rub soothing circles on the back of it. I did not want to chance my usual reaction so I took my hand back and marched purposefully up to the front door. Edward, of course, got there first and opened it, guiding me through with his hand in the small of my back.

His parents were waiting by a beautiful grand piano. Carlisle stepped forward to greet me, extending his hand for me to shake—and there it was again, that spark of electricity…and more. Shocked, I instinctively looked to Edward and caught him raising an eyebrow at Carlisle. Something passed between them, and Edward's face flashed a look of anger, before turning back to my blushing and slightly guilty one.

Confused, I was distracted by Esme welcoming me in the same manner. As our hands met, the electricity sparked again. Esme couldn't help a slight exclamation as I once more looked to Edward, whose face showed that he was as confused as I was.

It was then that I noticed Emmett and Rosalie had appeared from behind Edward. Rosalie looked to be hanging back sulkily, holding Emmett's hand, whilst he was straining in our direction. He was about to come and say hello, when Alice came bounding down the stairs. She stopped in front of me and pushed something into my hand, saying "slip this in your pocket for later. We're going to be great friends," she announced and jumped me, hugging me tightly and kissing my cheek. Wow, I was not expecting that!—and neither was she!

Alice was sitting on the floor with her mouth agape, staring at me in shock. In a split second Edward had stepped in front of me, and Jasper was kneeling by Alice asking her if she was okay. I peered around Edward as Jasper raised his eyes in confusion, when his gaze settled on us, he rolled his eyes before giving Edward a dirty-looking smirk_._

_Shit, he knows._

Jasper stood up with Alice in his arms. "Nice to meet you, Bella," he said, and disappeared up the stairs.

Emmett's laughter was rumbling like thunder, and even Rosalie was smirking. Carlisle and Esme were looking a little embarrassed.

"Aw, can I have a go?" Emmett crossed the room and stood in front of us with his arms wide open. "Hi, Bella."

Edward remained static, defensive and ready to pounce.

"It's okay, Edward," I said, as I pressed on his side to get him to move. He slowly complied and Emmett grabbed me in a big bear hug.

"Jeez, Emmett…need…breathe," I panted breathlessly.

Emmett's hold relaxed as he held me at arm's length disappointment written all over his face. I could almost see the cogs of his brain churning. Suddenly his eyes lit up, and he pulled me closer to plant his lips on my cheek.

"Oh! Wow, Bella!_" Oh no, Emmett. Not you, too! I am going to be spending half my life in the bathroom._ "That's so neat!" he bellowed.

"Bella and I are going for a walk," Edward proclaimed, and almost yanked my arm off as he dragged me outside.

**Carlisle's POV**

As I shook hands with Bella, I felt a small electric shock. Edward read my surprise and raised an eyebrow in query. I recalled a similar incident at the hospital which had appeared to make him angry; at the time, I had chalked it up to static electricity.

I was even more surprised when Esme felt it, too.

But the biggest shock was Alice. I don't know what had possessed her to be so forward, but she obviously hadn't foreseen the result. It wasn't often that Alice was surprised, and it took a lot of self control not to laugh at the look on her face.

I was almost glad when Edward forced Bella outside, as her obvious arousal was a little embarrassing.

**Jasper's POV**

I could hardly believe my eyes as Alice jumped away from Bella so fast that she landed on her backside. As I sped to her aide I was hit by a wave of lust—where the hell had that come from? I spied Bella tucked behind Edward, and guessing the source, I rolled my eyes at them.

That was when I caught the smell of Bella's arousal, and I smirked at Edward in appreciation_. Try keeping her under control, _I thought for his benefit. A deep blush spread across Bella's face as I made my excuses and carried Alice upstairs—no point in wasting a good emotion.

**Emmett's POV**

Wow! What a shocker!

**Edward's POV**

My surprise that Carlisle felt a spark as he touched Bella's hand soon turned to anger, as I saw that it was not the first time. I had thought that was just me. I was considering whether Bella might have feelings for Carlisle, when I was thrown back into confusion as Esme elicited the same reaction, compounded by Alice's stunt.

All this was forgotten, as Jasper rushed to Alice, and I had to shield Bella in case Jasper forgot himself. I was monitoring Jasper's thoughts for any threat, when he sensed a rush of lust and concluded that it came from Bella and me. Well, it hadn't been me and I didn't think that it was Bella, until I became aware of her arousal both through Jasper's thoughts and my own senses. Ugh, I did not need to "hear" his intentions as he whisked Alice upstairs.

I had been vaguely aware of Emmett's enjoyment of events, but hadn't considered that he could be stupid enough to try and copy them, or I would never have moved out of the way. Yes, Emmett felt a jolt from Bella too, and as interesting as Carlisle found that, he and Esme were becoming embarrassed by Bella's obvious arousal. It was time to get her out of there!

**Bella's POV**

As I stumbled outside, I let myself lean against Edward, slightly exhausted after all the tension. For a while, he put his arm around my hip and held me close as we walked down to the river. When we reached the riverbank. Edward stopped and then turned to face me. I thought he was going to kiss me, but he said it would be a good idea to keep a little distance for a while, if I thought I could walk along the bank without tripping. Edward shoved his hands into his pockets. As we strolled, I soon fell into the familiarity that was being with Edward. Although we kept a space between us, I was always aware of him, as though I was permanently plugged into him but the electricity was not always switched on.

I pondered the morning's events, extremely grateful that Edward could not read my thoughts. How could I possibly explain what had happened when I didn't understand it myself? I felt the habitual heat in my cheeks as I recalled that Jasper had picked up on my emotional response. A nasty misgiving niggled in the back of my mind; I suspected that Carlisle had some idea of the effect they had had on me. I was familiar with the electricity and sensations that I had come to associate with my attraction to Edward, but why would it happen with his Dad? I mean there was no denying that Carlisle and Emmett were pretty hot, but then why would I be affected by Esme and Alice?

Oh, yes—Alice. What had she meant about us being such good friends? What kind of friends? She couldn't be turned on by my reactions—could she? I remembered the small packet in my pocket and pulled it out to take a better look, it was a plastic bag. What was that for? Now I was worried what Alice might have seen.

"Okay, we're far enough away now." Edward's voice jolted me from my musings.

"What? Far enough away?" I had no idea what he was talking about. Had I missed something?

"Far enough from the house that they can't hear us," he clarified. I frowned at him mystified, and he explained how acute vampire hearing was.

"Well, that was certainly interesting. Do you have any idea what happened?" he said, sitting on a fallen tree.

"You probably know more than me, seeing how you could get inside all their heads." I joined him on the tree.

"They feel the same spark I do when we touch. I thought that was just us, something special, but even the girls…" Edward drifted off. It was plain from his demeanour that he did not like the situation.

"Ours _is_ special," I urged, attempting to comfort him. "I feel the connection even when we don't touch, and so do you." That was when I realised that with Edward's family, the electricity was only there when their skin touched my skin. As I told Edward, he smiled.

**Edward's POV**

I was pleased there was a distinction between the way I affected Bella and the way the others did. I knew how I felt about Bella, how much she meant to me, but this business with my family had made me question her feelings, and whether they were just based on this strange reaction. It was a relief to know that it was more than that. "So, if you wore gloves and long sleeves, it wouldn't happen." I reasoned happily.

"Oh sure," she pouted. "Why don't I wear a balaclava to make sure, or maybe a big sign saying 'vampires don't touch' around my neck."

"I'm only trying to help," I soothed. Bella's blush had alerted me to her embarrassment, so her sarcasm was not entirely unexpected. "But if you're going to be like that we might as well go back to the house."

"I know. I'm sorry. The whole thing has been exhausting and more than a little disturbing."

"Come on, then. Let's find something relaxing to do at home." I waited for Bella to get up and let her walk in front of me, careful not to touch her or give her any cause to become excited again. I didn't mind that Bella became aroused, in fact, it was rather sweet that I affected her that way, and totally normal for a teenager. I just wasn't comfortable with it around my family. I was already in for a lot of ribbing from Emmett and Jasper. I could deal with that—but I didn't want Esme to be any more embarrassed.

**Bella's POV**

I was confused that Edward kept me at arm's length, much as he did at school. I had given him cause to sulk, but I was certain it wasn't that. As we approached the house, Alice came skipping along.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. I had no idea. It was quite a shock—still, every cloud has a silver lining," she rattled off. I had no idea what she was on about, but Edward frowned at her.

"Alice, how many different colour nail varnishes can you buy in Macy's for $3000?" he asked quickly. As Alice worked out an answer, Edward's frown melted away. I smiled at him, guessing that he hadn't liked her thoughts. I'm sure he spoke to Alice then, but too fast and quiet for me to hear; Alice barely nodded in reply and disappeared into the house.

The house was very quiet. "I'd like to use the bathroom," I told Edward, wondering if they even had one. Esme appeared as if from nowhere.

"I'll take you, Bella." She made to take my hand, then corrected herself and put her arm round my waist. "Come on." She steered me up a flight of stairs and down the hall to a beautiful bathroom.

After changing my panties, I stood there reluctant to put the soiled ones in my pocket. Maybe I could wrap them in some paper, my hand strayed to my pocket, of course, the plastic bag. I really did not want to think about how Alice knew I'd need it.

Edward sure wasn't kidding when he said this family had no secrets.

**Edward's POV**

I was grateful that Alice had spread the word about skin contact. As Esme ushered Bella upstairs, she directed her thoughts to me. _Edward, go and talk to Emmett. He's far too excited about all this_.

My four siblings were in the main lounge where Emmett was almost bouncing off the walls, with all sorts of rubbish running through his mind.

I addressed them all, but glared pointedly at Emmett. "Maybe it's best if you all keep away from Bella, at least until we work out what's going on." Emmett had a vision of passing the electricity from Bella through him and on to another human.

Alice pouted. "Don't be ridiculous. It's not like it hurts, it was just a shock. I see no reason to shun my new friend." Always the drama queen.

"Do you think we could use it to jump start a car?" Emmett was asking Rose.

"Can't you keep him under control?" I growled at her. "Bella is not some fairground curiosity," I admonished Emmett. "She's not a toy, either, so just stay away from her okay."

I met Bella as she left the bathroom and showed her round the house, telling her some of our background and ending up in my room. We sat on my couch and listened to music.

**Bella's POV**

The family history was very interesting, and I was fascinated with Edward's bedroom. He had so much music, and we spent much of our time lounging on his couch listening and chatting. Although it was very pleasant, I had hoped we would be closer, maybe cuddle or even kiss again, but Edward seemed determined not to touch me.

All too soon it was time to leave. We poked our heads into the family room to say our goodbyes. Everyone got up and hugged me except Emmett, who was sulking and just waved. Edward was glaring at him. It wasn't until we were parked outside Charlie's that Edward finally relaxed and kissed me.

"Goodnight, Bella. I'll pick you up in the morning for school." With that, he was gone.

I lay in bed that night and ran through the day's events in my mind. It had been bizarre and Edward had acted strangely, too. At least by the end he seemed to be back to normal, so I decided to draw a line under it and start afresh in the morning.

**AN. Hopefully, that made up for the pitifully short first chapter. lol. Talk to me, or I may fall asleep and never wake up.**


	3. Chapter 3 School

**Thank you EvilPumpkin and Angel Eyes1 UK for requesting Emmett's POV in this chapter. He was very happy to oblige.**

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**As usual, I own none of this, not even Emmett - though he might own me.**

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**School**

**Bella's POV**

If I thought my day at the Cullens' had been bad, the next day at school was on a whole new level. It started well enough. Edward picked me up in the Volvo and was back to his old self, greeting me with a light kiss and tucking a stray hair behind my ear. When we arrived at school he opened the car door and suddenly, it seemed I'd grown three heads. Everybody stared as he walked me to class, his arm firmly round my waist. We only got half way across the parking lot before Rosalie's sports car appeared. At least all the male attention was refocused on that—until Emmett came running over.

"Bella! Hey, Bella! High five!" he was yelling. Without thinking, I responded by slapping his hand—so not a good idea, at least for me. It appeared that Emmett had enjoyed it. "Way cool, Bella," he almost roared, doing a little dance. "Ha ha, you're so cool." Rose grabbed him by the ear. "Ouch, Rose! Just a bit of fun." As she led him away, Alice ran up and hugged me. Thankfully, I was well wrapped up and Alice did one of those air kisses.

"Hi, Bella. Will you come shopping with me at the weekend? You could do with some more underwear." I was too stunned to say anything, but Edward scowled at her. "What? It's your fault she needs to shop."

Alice turned in a huff and danced back to Jasper, who waited patiently a short distance away.

**Emmett's POV**

Rose parked the convertible, and I jumped over the door, leaving her to the adoring male populous. What? Rose can take care of herself. Besides, it was the car they were ogling. I was eager to catch Bella and check out if she was still sizzling. I managed to get a high five from her. Whatever that shit was, the girl was still shooting. Better yet, she turned a lovely deep pink.

Rose stopped my little celebration, yanking me off to class, but I heard what Alice said about shopping for underwear. I hadn't missed the smell—jeesh, she'd smelt like that all the time with Edward at our house. Then I thought back. She was with Edward when I got to school, and she didn't smell then. I had an idea that the smell appeared around the time of our high five. So she _did_ know a great body when she saw one! I laughed out loud, wondering how long it would take Edward to pick _that_ from my head, and whether I should flirt a bit with Bella to wind him up.

Rose scowled and rolled her eyes, clearly not as amused as me. I had a few points to make up there. A passionate kiss pressed into a doorway, with a vampire speed grope down her bra, put a smile on her face. She playfully swatted my ass as I scooted off to World History. Life was sweet.

**Edward's POV**

Oh, how I wished I could shut out the thoughts today. We Cullens had certainly made an impression. Considering how hard we worked not to draw attention to ourselves, I suppose I should have been relieved that the focus was on Bella—but I hated it.

The female thoughts were bad enough, from bitchy _"what do they see in her?"_ to bitter _"as if bagging Edward Cullen wasn't enough, now she's BFF with all of them" _to envious _"two hunks after her and I don't get one". _The male thoughts, ran from admiration _"she seems to have impressed the big guy" _to x-rated and worse.

I made sure to meet Bella after her last class of the morning, and walked her to the cafeteria. As we carried our trays, I was headed to an empty table when Emmett's voice boomed across the room.

"Hey, Bella! Come and sit over here." I gave Emmett a withering stare. He appeared to be under the impression that Bella had some kind of crush on him.

**Bella's POV**

Emmett was grinning like a Cheshire cat. I glared at him, turned my back, and sat down opposite Edward. Pushing my tray to one side, I buried my head in my arms. Edward groaned, and I looked up as Emmett arrived at the table.

"What are you playing at, Emmett?" Edward quietly growled at him. "Leave her alone."

"That might be best," I agreed with a sigh. "We're already attracting too much attention." Every pair of eyes in the room was watching the Cullens or me. Edward was glaring at Emmett, Rosalie was glaring at me, Alice was glaring at Edward, and poor Jasper was gripping Alice's hand with his eyes closed, looking like he wanted to throw up.

"Have it your own way," Emmett said, and went to sit with Rosalie again, just as Alice left, pulling Jasper behind her.

I turned back to Edward. Reaching across the table, I placed his hand on my forehead. His coolness was soothing—I tried to focus on that and ignore all the speculation going on around us. The bell couldn't ring soon enough.

All through biology, recent events raced round and round my mind. Luckily, Edward had my back and whispered the answer to the only question I was asked. By the end of the lesson I had decided that I needed to explore this electricity phenomenon further and formed a plan. I told Edward that I had to use the bathroom before gym so I'd see him later, and headed to the girls' restroom. I quickly scribbled two notes:

_Meet me in the parking lot at the beginning of lunch._

_Alice, please give enclosed message to Emmett tomorrow morning at school. Don't let Edward know!_

I wrapped the first message in a blank sheet of paper and sealed it with tape, then wrapped both messages in another sheet of paper and sealed it too. Now, all I needed was a girl from Alice's class to pass it on. I was about to run and check by the lockers when Alice herself came in.

"Okay, give it to me. I have a class to get to." I put the messages in her hand and she disappeared.

Recovering from the shock of Alice showing up and knowing I had something for her, I closed my mouth.

I realised that having Alice on my side was a very good thing.

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**AN. A huge thank you to those of you giving this story a try, especially those who are reviewing. You know who you are, and you keep me going!**


	4. Chapter 4 Phenomenon

**Just a short chapter guys, in fact it's the shortest true chapter. Believe me, some are much longer.**

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**Thanks again to my two favourite betas, I'd be lost without you.**

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**SM still rocks, and owns everything.  
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**Phenomenon**

**Edward's POV**

Something was up. Even though I wasn't at home as much these days, I was aware that Alice was avoiding me. This morning, when Bella and I arrived at school, Alice was mentally reciting Latin verbs. Other than that, the morning was typically boring, and I looked forward to seeing Bella at lunch.

I sat alone in the cafeteria waiting, but Bella didn't show. Neither was Emmett sitting with the others. Rose wondered where he was, but Alice knew something. I searched her mind…there, she'd given Emmett a note.

I was trying to figure it out when Emmett rushed in, grabbed Rose, and almost dragged her outside. _You lucky bastard, _he snapped at me. I didn't want to _see _his thoughts, but I needed to know if he had seen he was desperately blocking something, he had seen her…and now I knew where.

As I headed off to find Bella, I heard Alice ask, "What was that all about?"

"Darned if I know, but Rose and Emmett need to be alone," Jasper replied.

**Emmett's POV**

I thought today was going to be a normal day. We arrived at school, ignoring Edward and Bella as he steered her away. Jazz and I went off to our first class as Rose and Alice went off to theirs. As Jasper disappeared around the corner in front of me, I felt someone grab my arm and the little minx slapped a note into my hand. I opened it and wondered why she wanted to meet. Why all the secrecy? Alice never had secrets from Jazz. Class started and I decided I'd find out at lunch.

When I got to the parking lot, Alice was nowhere to be seen—but Bella was, and she beckoned me over.

"Thanks for coming, Emmett," she said. "Can we go somewhere we won't be disturbed?" Well sure, I knew a few places…

She followed me into a nearby wood. As soon as we were out of sight, she turned to me and said, "Emmett, I want you to keep very still and let me touch you. Okay?"

"Sure, if you like." Bella reached up and put one finger on my chin.

"What does that feel like?" she asked.

"It's a bit tingly, like static electric."

"It's not bad? It doesn't hurt?"

I laughed at the idea. "No. Does it hurt you?"

"No." She laid her palm on my cheek and the feeling got stronger, then she held my face in both her hands and the electricity intensified. The feeling was quite enjoyable, and my mind went off on its own path. I wondered how much stronger it could get if, say, two bodies were touching. They'd have to be naked, of course.

Catching a whiff of arousal, the idea of naked bodies led me to wonder about the ultimate skin-on-skin contact. _That could be interesting. Hmm, might be fun_…

My mind was in overdrive and imagining those sparks of hers shooting through my dick. _Shit, this is Bella, Em_, I berated myself for thinking like that about my brother's girl.

"I don't think this is such a good idea, Bella," I said, taking her hands away, and I left her standing in the woods. I needed Rose. Now.

As I pulled Rosalie from the cafeteria, I couldn't help thinking what a lucky bastard Edward was. _Goddamn!_

**Bella's POV**

Well, that was interesting. The more skin contact, the stronger the feeling. It was when I used both hands that the lust kicked in, though I didn't get chance to explore that, as Emmett took off. How much could he tell?

I wasn't really surprised when Edward found me. "What happened?" he demanded.

"I thought I should get to know Emmett better, and maybe stop the 'high five' business, but he ran off." Edward appeared to accept my explanation, though he looked far from happy. I sighed as we headed back to school; I guessed that Edward would always find out in the end.

Next day at school, I realised that Emmett was giving me a wide berth, which pleased Rosalie. I wanted to find out more. I was sitting with Edward at lunch, when I hatched a plan.

"Edward, would you mind if I have a girls' night?" At the other end of the cafeteria, Alice squealed.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "Do you know what Alice intends to do to you?"

"How bad can it be_?" Does she know what I want to do to _her_? Actually yes, she probably does._

Edward grinned. "So, you're ready to be a Barbie doll, are you?"

**AN:We're back to the Cullens' next chapter, look forward to seeing you all there!  
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	5. Chapter 5 A Cullen Evening

**AN. A longer chapter (thank my lovely betas for that), and a day early (thank my lovely Mum for that - no internet, lol), what could be better? ...Yeah, I could think of a few things, too!**

**Anyhow, back to Friday update next week.**

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**Thank you EvilPumpkin and Angel Eyes1 uk for another great job. If I am improving, it's because you are pushing me.  
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**Disclaimer: Nope, not mine. I _will_ give them back, if a little soiled.  
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**A Cullen Evening**

**Bella's POV**

The next afternoon, Edward drove me straight to their house. As he helped me out of my jacket, I reached up and pulled him into a kiss. I wasn't sure how much they could tell, but I wasn't having them know that Alice, or anyone other than Edward, did _that_ to me.

"Wish me luck," I said, as Alice beckoned me upstairs.

"Come on, Bella," Alice chided. "Let's get your stuff out of the way so I can concentrate on you. We haven't got long as Charlie wants you home by ten thirty." Not long? We had hours. Obviously Alice had prior knowledge of my hidden agenda, so I jumped straight in and enquired.

"Alice, would you mind if we touch, and you tell me what it's like for you? Emmett ran off before I could ask him. Did I do something wrong? Was he upset?"

"No, Bella. Emmett was just being a dick! So, touch me." Alice held her hands out, and I grasped one and then the other.

Just then there was a knock, and Jasper peered round the door. Alice hissed something about a cold shower and Jasper left sheepishly .

Alice confirmed that a light touch tickled, which soon turned into a tingling, and by the time both hands were fully touching, sparks were flying. I was relieved that was all, and asked her, "Did you say something about a shower?"

"What? Yes. We need to get you showered, because you can't eat until I've finished your hair."

"We're eating?" I asked in amazement.

"No, silly. _You're_ eating. Esme went a little mad at the market, so I hope you're hungry."

Alice bundled me into the shower, and then spent the next couple of hours drying, ironing, brushing and styling my hair. Only when she was completely satisfied was I allowed downstairs to find Esme, feeling a little self-conscious in the towelling robe Alice had lent me.

Esme was in the kitchen, slicing tomatoes and onions. "Great timing, I'm just finished," she said, pouring a dressing over the salad and carrying it through to their huge dining table. "Dinner is served," Esme announced. She added the tomato and onion salad to the many dishes already laid out on the table. The whole family appeared and filled all the side seats except one. I sat in the empty seat, the only one with a plate, and wondered where to start.

"I thought it best not to cook, this time, so I kept it simple," Esme explained.

"It's wonderful, Esme. I'm not sure where to begin." The table was full of salad dishes, coleslaws, and fresh fruit.

Edward took control. "How about a bit of everything?" He took my plate and spooned a little of one dish after another onto it.

At the opposite end and on the other side of the table, Emmett leaned back in his chair, stretching his long legs behind the unused end chair. "Esme wanted us all here," he said. Next to him, Rosalie leaned against his chest, arms folded, and glared at me, obviously thinking she could be better occupied.

"It's nice for the family to get together," Carlisle said from his seat opposite Edward. "How was school today?" Five pairs of caramel eyes looked at him.

Rosalie spoke for them all. "Seriously, Carlisle?" At least she wasn't glaring at me anymore.

"Of course, Dear," Esme answered her. "How was Advanced Math?" Rosalie snorted, which made Emmett chuckle.

Alice, who was seated next to me, was bouncing like a rubber ball. "Let me help you, Bella," she said, grabbing a dish and filling it with fruit. "There. Now eat up—we have lots to do."

"Alice! Give the poor girl chance. Take as long as you like, Dear." I returned Esme's smile as I nibbled on a piece of carrot. Rosalie went back to glaring at me, and Jasper had pulled Alice into his lap to calm her down.

Carlisle tried again. "Anything interesting in Biology, you two?"

Emmett guffawed. "Well, Edward was there, and Bella was there, but I don't think they know squat about biology!" I could feel the blush rising as he carried on. "Would you like me to draw you a diagram?"

Edward was growling. "I've seen more than diagrams, Emmett! If you don't think of something else, I'm going to describe the new outfit Rosalie bought you." He gave Emmett a very smug smile.

"Rose hasn't bought me any new clothes." Emmett retaliated, glancing quickly at Rosalie for confirmation. Rose shrugged.

"I believe she keeps it in her bottom drawer," Edward smirked. Jasper pushed Alice off his lap and made to get up. Rosalie hissed at him.

Esme declared, "Nobody leaves this table." Jasper sat back down, pouting.

"If you go in my room, you're dead, Jasper!" Rosalie snarled. Jasper turned his back to Carlisle and Esme, and flipped her off. "Did you see that, Emmett?" Emmett whispered in her ear, and Rosalie glanced smugly at Jasper—which was scarier than her glare.

Alice climbed back onto Jasper's knee, reaching across Edward, to push my chin back up. "Chew, Bella."

"I had a lovely morning at the market," Esme said. "Who knew there were so many types of tomato?"

"At least we don't have to pretend to eat them." Edward smiled at me a little apologetically. "It does get a bit tedious after a few years."

I wished then that they _did_ have to pretend, or at least _do_ something; it might stop Rosalie staring so hard. Jasper was watching me intently, too, although his gaze was somewhere around my neck—he seemed a little uncomfortable. Alice was logging every bite, willing me to hurry. Esme nervously scrutinised my enjoyment, or lack of it, in every mouthful. Edward beamed down at me, pleased I guessed, that I was there. The only ones not watching me were Carlisle, who appeared to be watching Jasper, and Emmett, who was doing a very good impression of eating Rosalie's ear.

"That's it," I said, slapping the table and surprising them all. "I can't eat with everyone staring. If I catch you watching me, you have to eat too." Everyone faced away, except Rosalie. "Got it?" I barked at her. She smiled slightly and turned to Emmett.

Great! Now I felt uncomfortable that everyone was avoiding looking my way, as if I was the elephant in the room. Esme reached across the table and put a comforting hand on my arm.

"How's your father, Bella?" she asked. Alice looked daggers at her, obviously frustrated that she was prolonging the meal.

"He's good, thanks. Although he won't be feasting like this." I indicated all the wonderful food. "I left him some of yesterday's lasagne."

"I'll make sure to pack up the leftovers for him, then," she promised.

"Aw, Mom," Emmett whined.

Esme frowned at him and carried on. "_We're_ not going to eat it now, are we?" Emmett looked crestfallen, and Edward was chuckling right by my ear.

"What's funny?" I asked him.

"Emmett had plans for a food fight," he whispered, although everyone could hear.

"I'm sure I can sort something." I winked at Emmett, and he waved his hand at me.

"High five!" he called.

"Back at ya," I replied, waving my hand.

"Please don't encourage him."

"Trust me, Esme—I won't let them make a mess. With my rules, you won't even know it happened."

Esme smiled. "I'll leave it in your capable hands then."

"Way to go, Sparky!" Emmett shouted, punching the air. Rosalie had sat up in her chair as Emmett was bouncing up and down in his.

"Appreciated, Socket!" I returned.

Carlisle put his hand up in a bad attempt at hiding a snicker. "Sparky and Socket?" he questioned. "Explain please."

"Bella's Sparky because she zaps us with electricity and great ideas," Emmett began.

"And Emmett's Socket because when he high fives me, it's like electricity going in the socket, and he can 'sock it' to you," I finished.

"I never knew you were so deep, Emmett." Edward seemed impressed. "Got any more nicknames?"

I rolled my eyes. "Obviously, Alice is Wired." Everyone laughed, and Emmett piped up. "So that makes Jasper the Earth, keeping us all grounded." I was about to say something, when Alice interrupted.

"Bella, eat! I got this one. Edward is the Control Box, and Rosalie the Transformer."

When I was so full that I was in danger of not fitting into my own clothes, we all carried a few of the plates out to the kitchen.

"Esme, this is all so tasty," I said as I helped her pack up some salads. "But I'm afraid Charlie's not much of a fruit eater, and it will go off very quickly. If you don't mind I'll only take one tub of the fruit home. The rest we can divide up for the boys."

"I guess I got carried away—everything was so colourful." Esme disclosed. "Too much for one little girl, Bella?"

"Way too much," I laughed. "Try dividing by about ten, though I'm not complaining." Everything was packed away, apart from the three plates of fruit for the boys. Alice was dancing from one foot to the other impatiently, and Emmett was bouncing as he hovered nearer the ammunition.

"Can we start already," Jasper pleaded, with a silly grin on his face and jigging about. "I can't take much more of this."

"Okay, everyone grab a plate." I sent Edward out to hide and ambush the other two, telling him his mind reading made it even. Then Jasper and Emmett went to try and surprise him. They had to keep it outside, and the one who was messiest had to wash all the clothes for losing.

"Now, can we get back to the main event?"

"Of course, Alice. I'm all yours."

"And mine," said Rosalie, with an evil laugh and hands full of nail varnishes.

The thought of Rosalie anywhere near me was intimidating, but I was blushing at the idea of her holding my hands steady to apply varnish. "I…um. I don't…er," I stuttered. "One hand at a time?" I squeaked.

Carlisle appeared by my side. "Relax, Bella," he said, with a comforting squeeze of my shoulder. "Here, I brought these home."

I took the box he offered, and sighed in relief. "Thank you." I smiled at him gratefully. "These are for you two," I said, handing the latex gloves to Alice.

As Alice took them, she grabbed my hand. "Come on, then," she trilled and led me to her enormous bathroom. It looked more like a salon, laid out with bottles, tubs, and tubes in every size and colour.

I was given the fastest manicure and pedicure in history. "That will have to do until we can get you to a proper spa," Alice said. I was then man-handled into her bedroom, and dressed in one outfit after another while Alice made a mental note of which colours and styles suited me. Rosalie whipped accessories on and off me so fast I felt dizzy.

Having found a pair of skinny jeans and a purple camisole top that satisfied her, Alice dragged me back to the bathroom to do my makeup. Meanwhile, Rosalie painted my toe nails deep purple and my finger nails a shimmering mauve. After trawling through box after box of designer shoes, and arguing about heel heights, we settled on a pair of low ankle boots.

The climax of the evening was parading me downstairs to where the boys were playing on the X-box. Thankfully, only Edward seemed more than vaguely interested.

Jasper, who had been watching the game, gave an appreciative nod. "Nice," he said, diving for the controller that Edward had just dropped.

Emmett waved. "Hi, Bella," he boomed, not taking his eyes off the screen.

Having dropped the controller, Edward stared dumbstruck before letting out a low whistle. "Alice, Rosalie, I think you have monopolised Miss Swan for far too long." He swept me into his arms, kissed me, and ran up to his room.

Before long, it was time to go. The whole family gathered to see me off—I think Esme had unplugged the X-box.

I thanked Alice and Rosalie for the make-over. "We'll have to do it again sometime," I said, thinking that next year would be soon enough.

"Sure, Bella." Alice smiled sweetly. "As soon as we fix you up with some decent underwear." I wasn't sure if I was more embarrassed that she implied my underwear was substandard, or that she'd mentioned it in front of the others.

"Next time, stay overnight and we can give you the works," Rosalie told me. I was too afraid to wonder what "the works" might be.

I felt unusually calm about the whole idea, and then caught Jasper's eye as he smiled shyly beside Alice. "See you at school tomorrow, Bella," he muttered.

Esme and Carlisle had loaded the tubs of food into Edward's Volvo. They each hugged me on their way back indoors. "Come again soon," Carlisle said, and I thanked Esme for dinner.

My feet left the ground when Emmett grabbed me for a hug. "Gimme a kiss goodbye, Sparky," he chortled. What the heck, I thought, and planted a kiss on his cheek. He giggled like a big kid being tickled, until Edward led me away and Rosalie smacked him upside the head.

As Edward drove me home, I reflected on what I had learned about the whole electricity thing. It didn't amount to much, but I'd had a pleasant if exhausting evening.

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**AN. Bella didn't learn very much, did she? Next chapter, she turns to someone else. Any guesses who? All reviews will get a small teaser from the next chapter, although I can't reply until at least Monday, as I will not be able to access the internet.  
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	6. Chapter 6 I Need A Doctor

**AN. Thank you, my lovely betas! I know you are busy girls and I appreciate the time you spend making this readable.**

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**Disclaimer. I'm not nearly clever enough to own these guys.  
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**As most of you guessed, a doctor is the logical person to turn to:-  
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**I Need a Doctor**

**Bella's POV**

I slept on it and mulled things over. On Friday morning, I was leaving Trig when I decided I had to go and see Carlisle. I made a detour on the way to Spanish to pick up a text book from my locker, when Alice came up and gave me a hug.

"It'll be just fine, Bella." It took me a moment to realise that she meant my talk with Carlisle. "The others are leaving at lunch to hunt, so Edward will make it back by tomorrow evening," she continued. "He's sorry he won't get the chance to say 'goodbye', but he'll see you when we get back from Seattle. Carlisle will be at the hospital until around six if you want privacy."

"Thanks, Alice." I hugged her back. Seeing Carlisle at the hospital was a good idea. Anyone at their house would be able to hear our conversation.

"Come and sit with me at lunch or I'll be on my own," she urged.

I joined Alice in the cafeteria. She was supposed to have gone hunting nearby with Rosalie and Esme, but Alice told me that she had cried off when I decided to visit Carlisle, so Rosalie and Esme had gone with the boys.

By the end of Biology, I had decided to skip Gym and go straight to the hospital. I informed Coach Clapp that I needed to see Dr. Cullen about a personal matter. Not being a good liar, sticking to the truth as far as possible was best. I drove to Forks Hospital as soon as I was given leave to go.

I went straight to Carlisle's office and asked to see him. The receptionist called him, and said he would see me, but I might have a bit of a wait.

When Carlisle finally appeared, he took a few steps toward me. "Bella," he said, holding his arm out and shepherding me into his room. He followed very close behind, managing not to touch me at all. As the door closed, I gave him a questioning glance. "I've become very good at protecting my personal space," he explained. "We can't risk touching humans. I assume that you're here about such contact?"

"Yes. I was wondering what you made of it?"

"I've thought about it a lot. I do have to touch humans from time to time, of course, but I have never had any reaction at all. Until you." Carlisle motioned for me to sit down. "I have been concerned that your heart rate appears to increase, and may go up further with increased skin contact—that is, with the intensity of the electricity."

"Oh." I looked down, blushing slightly.

"You know something about that?" he asked.

"Maybe." I hesitated. "It's…embarrassing."

"Because I'm Edward's father?"

"Well, kind of—yes."

Carlisle settled into the chair on his side of the desk. "Bella, I'm also a doctor who lives amongst a lot of teenage hormones…and Emmett." I giggled at that.

I continued. "You know when I shook your hand?" Carlisle nodded. "Edward was angry because he thought it was something between _us_. When Edward touches me, kisses me, I get a…umm…reaction."

"Perfectly normal." Carlisle reached across the desk to pat my arm in support.

"Yeah." I screwed my face up, recalling that first meeting. Carlisle could pat my arm all he liked, it would not lessen the humiliation. When I looked back at it, I was if anything, _more_ embarrassed now that I was sure what had happened. "I thought that was just Edward and me."

"And it's not?" He leaned nearer, eager for the facts.

"No." I began reluctantly. My hands had moved to my lap, where my fingers were twisting and fidgeting. I lowered my head and watched them, wishing the conversation was over. At last, in a small voice, I told him, "It happens with all of you…even the girls."

"I see." Carlisle leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and brought his fingertips together. "That's a bit of a relief."

"It is?" I asked in surprise, looking up. He gazed back expectantly, until it dawned on me. "You knew, didn't you?" I accused.

"Yes, we knew. We could only imagine that it was the effect Edward was having on you."

"I had my suspicions," I admitted. "But how?"

"Our senses are heightened," Carlisle explained. "Not just our hearing and sight, but smell, too."

"Oh, God," I groaned and buried my face in my arms. This was worse than I had ever imagined. How would I look any of them in the face again?

"Bella," Carlisle said softly. "If you can get past the embarrassment, I would like to test our theories, and explore them further. Is that something you'd like to do?"

I peered sheepishly at Carlisle, and felt my face burn with shame as I confessed. "There's more." Carlisle raised an eyebrow, but let me continue. "I tried with Emmett and Alice, and found that the electricity intensifies with an increase in skin contact—and that's all…for them."

"Not for you?" He encouraged me to carry on.

"No." I paused, already emotionally exhausted. Then I sighed, deciding that I probably couldn't blush more than I already was, and nothing I was going to say could be worse than knowing they had all smelled…everything. "There is a point where the arousal intensifies, too. I really don't want to feel like that, except with Edward. I _know_ it's different with Edward, but how do I trust my own feelings when I can even feel lust for Alice?"

"How much contact have you had, Bella, and when does the lust kick in?" Carlisle was so matter-of-fact about it that I followed his lead, took a deep breath, and answered.

"When Alice first hugged and kissed me, I was shocked. Apart from that, the most contact has been two hands, which is when the lust kicked in."

"Alice kissed you on the cheek. Where else have you touched?"

"I touched Emmett's face and Alice's hands."

Carlisle pondered that for a while, then asked. "You want to explore this more, don't you?"

"If I can work out what's happening, maybe I can prevent it." _And I _really _want to prevent it,_ I thought.

"If I arrange it with Charlie, would you sleep over tonight?"

"Sure. Alice and I are going to Seattle tomorrow, so I guess it makes sense. We can get an early start."

"I'll get Alice to pick you up after dinner."

I smiled; obviously, it would be easier for me to cook at Charlie's. I stood up, and went to shake his hand.

"Thanks, Carlisle." There was a brief delay as he perused my outstretched, bare hand, before patting my shoulder.

Carlisle held the door open for me. "See you later, Bella."

With a hasty "thanks", I left as briskly as I could without seeming rude. I was going to need every second I had to prepare myself for tonight.

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**AN. Again, I am offering a snippet from the next chapter for those who review.**


	7. Chapter 7 Baiting Alice

**AN. Thanks as always to ****angel_eyes1_uk and EvilPumpkin. You guys are doing me proud!**

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**Disclaimer. I should be so lucky. Everything still belongs to SM.**

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**Baiting Alice**

**Bella's POV**

Alice drove me to the house. "Carlisle is in his study when you're ready. Do you want to do anything first? Have a drink? Watch TV?"

"No, thanks. I'll go on up. You'll be around, though?" I pleaded, suddenly nervous.

"Yes, Bella. I'll be in my room. Carlisle thinks it's best if I'm available, as you're not quite sure what will happen."

"You aren't sure either?" I was surprised Alice hadn't 'looked' at the outcome.

"Carlisle hasn't decided exactly how to approach it, so there are several possibilities." I must have looked worried, as she added, "Nothing bad. I'm just hanging around as a precaution."

We were outside the study now, and Carlisle called out, "Come in, Bella." I entered the room. As the door closed behind me, he asked, "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I can be," I answered, taking off my jacket and laying it on a chair. Underneath, I was wearing a halter top, leaving my back bare as Alice had insisted when she called for me. "How are we doing this?"

"I thought we would try back to back contact." Okay, I could do that.

"I'll stand here, then." I stood facing the chair, not wanting to look at Carlisle as his shirt joined my jacket on the chair.

**Carlisle's POV**

I stood with my back to Bella, feeling the heat rolling off her body but not quite touching.

"Give me your left hand." I felt the tingle as our fingers met, and the sparks as I gripped her hand in mine. There was her arousal, as expected. "Now, your other hand." I felt more sparks—stronger, too. "You're feeling lust now, Bella?"

"Um…yes."

"When you're ready, lean back into me." As our shoulders touched I began to feel a little uncomfortable, and by the time our backs were fully together, the sensation was quite strange. Bella's heart was thumping in her chest, and her breathing was heavy. "That will do," I said, and let go of her hands.

As I turned around, I caught a glimpse of her face, which was flushed; somehow I knew it was not simply a blush. I waited for her heartbeat to return to normal before enquiring, "Are you alright, Bella?"

She twisted round to face me, keeping her eyes to the ground. "I'm fine, thank you."

"Could you bear trying for more contact?"

Bella agreed, so we removed our shoes and socks. With her back to me, I lifted her, placing her bare feet on mine, and letting her lean against my chest. I brought my arms around her, and laid them across her bare midriff, as she laid her arms along mine.

I was most uncomfortable now, and Bella's breathing was fast and ragged. I leaned my head down to her neck, and nudged my cheek to hers.

Her heart was hammering, and I was about to ask if she was okay, when she shrieked, "OhmygoodGod!" and ran from the room, leaving me staggering.

**Bella's POV**

I could not believe that had happened! Running straight into the bathroom, I locked the door behind me, leaning on the sink until I could breathe again. When I had calmed down, I noticed the pile of my clothes and toiletries sitting on a shelf—Alice. I took a long shower, dressed, and opened the door to find her waiting for me.

"Have you been here the whole time?"

"No, silly. Vampire hearing and being super fast equals perfect timing. So, how was it?"

"What? You don't know?" I asked, surprised.

"No, I wasn't 'looking', just listening, in case either of you needed help," she patiently explained.

"I need a drink!" I exclaimed.

"I'm sure we have a bottle of whisky somewhere," she said, somewhat surprised.

"Actually, I was thinking of coffee." Now I was mostly over the shock of what had happened, it didn't seem real. Alice was so easy to talk to, and as we made our way downstairs, I couldn't resist the urge to tease her. "And maybe a cigarette…"

Alice stopped abruptly in the kitchen doorway, and spun around to frown at me. "A cigarette?"

"Isn't that what you do after sex?" I purred at her, all innocence. Alice's face was a picture as her jaw hit the floor.

"You didn't…Carlisle didn't…he wouldn't!" I could almost hear the cogs turning in her mind as she muttered, "The heart rate…breathing…oh…the smell."

I couldn't help myself, I doubled up laughing.

"Not funny, Bella."

Alice picked me up and dumped me on a kitchen stool while she proceeded to make coffee. I was almost in control of myself again as she handed me a mug. "So, no sex then?"

"Well, kind of…" I began.

"Be…ll…a." Alice dragged my name out, warning me that she was not in the mood to play.

"Did you even check in on Carlisle?" I teased.

"No, I…"

With that, Carlisle walked in. "Enough, you two. Bella, I'm glad you feel able to laugh about this. I think it's time we discussed it."

"Sure." The laughter and caffeine had gone to my head. I figured I'd get this over with before I calmed down and really thought about it.

"I have an idea what may have happened, but I need to hear your opinion, Bella."

"Well, you know how it was the first time?" _The first time?_ Alice mouthed at me, surprisingly I was enjoying this. I looked Alice in the eyes as I carried on nonchalantly. "Tingly, aroused." _Aroused? _she mouthed, raising her eyebrows so high that they almost disappeared under her hair. "Lust." _Lust? _she mouthed with a frown. I turned back to Carlisle. "The second time went further."

"Further?" he prompted.

I sighed, "Oh, Carlisle, you're not going to make me say the 'O' word, are you?"

"You had an orgasm?" Alice screeched.

"I thought so," Carlisle mused out loud.

"You thought so? How much skin contact did you have?" Alice was almost beside herself.

"We took our shoes and socks off, and I removed my shi…"

"_Stop!_ I really don't want to know." Alice's horror was priceless, and I couldn't help one last shot.

I angled my head to look up at Carlisle through my lashes, and said, "How was it for you, dear?"

Alice was speechless at last, but Carlisle was unperturbed.

He put his head in his hands, and ran his fingers back through his hair. "Actually, not so good. First time, I think I had a headache."

"A headache?" Alice asked. "How?"

"I think so. Of course, I've never had one…at least, that I can remember. Very interesting."

"And the second time?" I was eager to know how that might progress.

"The second time I was in quite a bit of pain."

Alice put her hands on her hips and pouted. She glared at me. "Let me get this right. _You _get the pleasure." Then she aimed at Carlisle, "And _you_ get the pain."

"Yes." We both chorused.

Alice began to laugh. "Oh, my. " She giggled. "Poor Edward!"

"We can keep this from him, right?" I looked expectantly at them both.

"Yes, I think we should until we know more," Carlisle answered. "Don't worry, Bella. Alice and I are very good at keeping secrets, even from Edward."

"Do you have any idea what it is?"

"I have never come across a human that could hurt a vampire in any way. There is a vampire called Jane." Alice hissed as he said the name. "Who can inflict pain without touching. I'm not sure it's comparable though, as the pain Jane inflicts is all in the mind, though she does seem to enjoy it."

"I did not enjoy causing you pain. I didn't even know I was hurting you." _No, I was too busy having a good time, wasn't I?_

"I know." Carlisle reassured me. "I will think it over and discuss it with an old friend, Eleazar," he promised.

I had definitely come down now, and I was feeling tired. "Where am I sleeping?" I asked with a yawn. "You did remember that I need to do that?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "Esme made up Edward's couch, or you can have my bed," she offered.

"A lovely thought, Alice, but I know what vampires use a bed for," I told her. "Edward's couch it is."

I didn't like keeping things from Edward, but it was necessary if I wanted the chance to understand what was going on. We decided that I would sleep over again the next time that the family went away hunting.

It was three weeks later that Carlisle picked me up from Charlie's, saying that Alice was stuck in traffic, on her way back from stocking up for our girlie weekend.

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**AN. Okay, I'm very willing to give you lovely reviewees a taste of the next chapter, but after a request last chapter not to, I'm not sure you're enjoying it. So, if you do want a taste, just ask me.**


	8. Chapter 8 Eleazar

**AN. Wow, thanks guys! I guess you enjoyed the last chapter, as it got the most reviews. It's always great to know there really are people out there reading, and if you like what you read I love to hear about it. If you don't like what you read, I have broad shoulders and am interested in your opinions.**

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**Thank you to my betas ****angel_eyes1_uk and EvilPumpkin****, I know you are busy, but you always come through for me.**

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**Disclaimer: In my dreams! Unfortunately they'll belong to SM forever.  
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**Eleazar**

**Carlisle's POV**

"Alice went hunting, too? Is Esme at home?" Bella enquired.

"No, Bella. Eleazar is coming and bringing his mate, Carmen. Eleazar is an old friend, and we have been discussing our little experiments. He has some theories."

We were sitting in the lounge when they arrived; I opened the door as they were coming across the lawn. "Good to see you, Eleazar. You, too, Carmen." I welcomed them, kissing her cheek.

His large hand clapped me on the shoulder. "Carlisle, my friend, please be assured that I will not harm Bella, but I need you to play along with me tonight." Carmen nodded in agreement. I would trust Eleazar with my life; whatever he intended to do must be for a reason. I showed them into the lounge.

"Bella, this is my very good friend, Eleazar." Bella stood up to greet Eleazar, but he spurned her advance with a hostile glare. "And this is his mate, Carmen." Carmen inclined her head to Bella, keeping behind Eleazar, who turned to me.

"So, this is what we have come all this way to see," he sneered. "Really, Carlisle. Is it worth the fuss?" Bella was not amused. She slumped back onto the sofa folding her arms and crossing her legs. "Come on, then," Eleazar addressed Bella, walking toward her. "Hold my hand."

"Why?" she responded sulkily. This was not good—he had got her back up and she might not cooperate.

"I don't have time to waste. Hold my hand!" Eleazar ordered. Bella looked to me for reassurance, and I nodded. Slowly, she edged to the front of the sofa, and tentatively touched her fingers to his offered hand, and he gripped her hand firmly.

He laughing mockingly. "Just another pathetic human," he said. Bella turned to me in confusion. "I thought you could harm vampires, little girl," he spat at her. Bella's lip trembled in anger. "Come on, hurt me!" Bella gripped Eleazar's hand with both of hers—if looks could kill…

"Carlisle, come and stand by me," my friend requested.

_More interesting by the minute_, I thought, and complied.

"Give me your hand." Eleazar held my gaze as he accused, "Why do you waste my time?" He pulled my hand to his mouth as he said, "I've a mind to take your finger off for that." I watched in surprise as he slowly made to bite, until at the last second he yelped and released our hands.

"If I had not been expecting that, you might have lost a finger, dear friend," he laughed.

Eleazar bowed. "Dearest Isabella, I must apologise for being so crass. It was, indeed, necessary."

I could not contain my curiosity. "Did she hurt you, Eleazar?"

"She did, Carlisle." I had never seen someone so happy to have felt pain.

"The theatrics, what were they all about?"

"First, let us ask how that was for Isabella?" We both looked to her; she was lost for words.

"Did you feel the usual arousal and lust?" I prompted.

Blushing, she answered, "Not at all—I was confused and angry."

Eleazar was looking very smug. "You have great affection for the Cullens." Bella nodded. "As a teenager your emotions are a maelstrom, which I think complicates matters. By playing the fiend and threatening a loved one, I distracted you from your affections and focused your emotions. The threat to you, Carlisle, forced her to lash out. Pure instinct. Something she would not do in her own defence."

"I didn't get aroused because you were a threat?" Bella interrupted.

"Not quite," Eleazar explained. "You have a relationship with Edward, and this 'electricity' is all wrapped up with that. Your mind associates it with your affections. When you meet his family, for whom you also feel affection, it is enough to elicit the same response."

I had to ask. "Why would I feel pain through that?"

"I can't be sure, but my guess is that, as the intensity became too great, Isabella lost control. With time and a lot of practise, I believe she could harness the power." Eleazar then spoke directly to Bella. "If you obtain a good control, I think Edward will be a very lucky man."

"It is a mind control power then?" I asked Eleazar. "How similar to Jane's, do you think?"

"Isabella's mind appears to control the power—and to an extent whether it induces pleasure or pain—but it is not like Jane's. Isabella, as far as we know, needs to make contact for it to work, but the pain she causes is not in the mind."

"I will certainly vouch for that."

"It is most interesting. I am excited to know where you will go with this, Isabella."

At this point, Carmen chose to interrupt. "Enough for one evening, I'm sure this poor child is exhausted." Carmen joined Bella on the sofa. "Bella, dear, tell me all about yourself. How did you meet Edward? Who are your family? What do you like to do?"

"You have to give her chance to answer," I chuckled, as Eleazar and I took a seat.

Carmen was not deterred, and continued to bombard her with questions, until Bella began to yawn.

When Bella had retired to Edward's couch, Eleazar accompanied me to hunt deer.

"What an extraordinary child, Carlisle," he commented once we were sated and took a moment to sit on a rock. "You intend to turn her, of course?"

"No!" I was taken by surprise, though it was something we would have to consider at some point.

"How can you not? She will make a formidable vampire."

"The subject has not been broached, but I think Edward will be opposed. You know how he feels about our kind."

"It would be such a waste. You must be careful she is not noticed, my friend." I knew what he referred to.

"There is no reason for her to show up on the Volturi's radar." I changed the subject, and enjoyed catching up with Eleazar and hearing about the Denali girls, but our previous conversation worried me.

I had intended to leave Bella with Carmen and Eleazar when I left for work, but now, I was not sure it would be such a good idea. I called Esme. "Darling, Carmen and Eleazar came to visit. I thought you might like to come home."

"How nice—I would love that. Maybe the girls would like to come home too? They haven't seen Carmen for some time."

"Let the boys stay. Edward needs a good hunt, and it'll give them time for some male bonding. They'll be heading back tomorrow, anyway."

"How are you coping all alone with visitors?" Esme enquired.

"Eleazar wanted to hunt together and talk over some things, so I brought Bella over to meet Carmen."

"Was she alright with that?"

"Fine, but could you get home before I leave at one? I don't care to leave Bella alone with them—it seems rude."

**Alice's POV**

Of course, I knew that Carmen and Eleazar were coming, and why. I was eager to return with Esme, and worried as to why Carlisle needed to ask. Rosalie wasn't too happy about leaving the men, but she came anyway.

On arriving home, I sought out Bella to make sure she was okay, and she filled me in on Eleazar's findings and theories.

"Wow, who'd have thought you'd have a power like that, Bella? It'll be awesome when you get it under control."

"I was wondering…would Jasper mind helping me get a grip on my emotions?" she ventured.

"He'd love to." I told her with certainty.

"But you haven't asked—oh, did you see it?"

"No, but he will because I want him to." I settled back on the sofa. "We'll both work with you every day." No sooner had I relaxed, than I jumped up again. "Eek!"

"Alice, what is it?" Bella was alarmed.

"A plan, Bella." I grinned wickedly. "When we get you trained up, we can get Emmett back for being such a dick."

Smirking back at me, she asked, "Will Jasper be able to keep it secret?"

"From Emmett? Sure." I said. "But Bella, you're going to have to tell Edward."

"I know, he's going to be pissed." Her chin dropped into her hands, dejectedly.

"Not if you pitch it right." I told her, taking her hands so she had to sit back up. "Edward's all about your safety. Carlisle was exactly the right person to go to with this, and Edward will see that. If you skim over the details, I'm sure Carlisle will never let him 'see' what went on. And I'm not about to let on about your merciless teasing afterwards." I smiled, letting her know she was forgiven.

Bella and I joined Rosalie, who was watching a DVD, and it was soon time for bed—apparently.

I went with Bella, as she readied herself, and we discussed exactly what she might do to Emmett. It was a lot of fun, and we ended up jumping around my bed singing, "I've got the power! I've got the power!"

**Edward's POV**

I hadn't seen Bella since Friday morning at school. Male bonding be damned, I wanted Bella bonding. After convincing Emmett and Jasper to leave in the early hours, I got out near Forks and ran to her house, but she wasn't there. Worried, there was nothing else I could do but run home. As I crashed through the door, Esme shushed me; Bella was asleep in my room.

Jasper and Emmett had taken their wives out—no doubt shooed away by Esme so that they didn't wake Bella. "What is she doing here?"

"Carlisle brought her over to meet Carmen and Eleazar." I wondered how she had reacted to that introduction, and was a little disappointed not to have been there for her.

I thought it would be nice to see my Denali cousins. "Where are they?" I asked Esme.

"They left not long ago," she answered. "They wanted to get the other side of Seattle before daylight."

I needed to see Bella, so I sat on my bedroom floor and watched her sleep. She tossed and turned and began to mutter; I caught a few words: _Power. Edward. Lucky Edward. Help_.

Emmett and Rosalie came in and went up to the shower. _Ugh, why must Emmett always be so graphic._ I searched the house for any distractions. Carlisle was heavily into his medical journals, and Esme was wondering what Bella might like for breakfast. Concentrating on the steady beat of Bella's heart, I waited for her to wake up.

**Eleazar's POV**

Esme and the girls arrived home in the middle of the day, shortly before Carlisle left for the hospital. Carmen was excited to see Esme, and they talked well into the night. By the time Carlisle returned from work, Alice and Rosalie were fixing Carmen's hair and whatever else women vampires do. Carlisle and I had the chance to reminisce for a few hours before Emmett and Jasper arrived unexpectedly. After saying hello, they went to find their wives and Carlisle quietly suggested that Carmen and I leave as Edward would not be far behind.

"It would not be wise for him to hear your thoughts," he said, and I wholeheartedly agreed. Carmen bade Esme farewell, and she promised to pay us a visit soon to help find soft furnishings for our lounge.

Running flat out to Port Angeles, we swam across Juan De Fuca Strait. After another short run to Sidney, we mostly swam, landing near Richmond. The sun came up as we entered the Provincial Parks north of Vancouver, where we enjoyed the day hunting before retracing our steps to Vancouver International Airport for an evening flight home.

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**AN. Hopefully we're understanding this 'electricity' now. Yeah, that's what I thought. It seems the characters knew better, but we have a few more chapters before we get to that. As last time, if you want an excerpt from the next chapter, just ask.  
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	9. Chapter 9 Power

**AN. Huge thanks as always to ****angel_eyes1_uk and EvilPumpkin.**

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**Disclaimer:I own nothing except my twisted mind.  
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**Power**

**Bella's POV**

When I awoke, it was to the wondrous sight of Edward sitting by the couch.

"Good morning, Bella."

"When did you get back?" I couldn't help but smile at this surprising start to my day.

"Only a few hours ago," he said. My stomach chose that moment to rumble loudly…even to my human ears. "Are you hungry, Bella?"

"No," I answered sweetly. Edward gave me his _don't try to lie to me_ look. "I'm ravenous!"

Edward stood up and gave a small bow. "If Madam would like to make her order, Chef can be preparing breakfast while you dress."

"Anything will go down well this morning. You choose." I beamed up at him.

"_My_ choice, would of course be mountain lion. Luckily for you, though, Esme has been wondering all night what you might like, and is ready to prepare almost anything."

"I'm sure that whatever Esme decides will be fantastic," I said. "I'll bet she could even make mountain lion palatable," I giggled, and ran into the bathroom. When I had washed and dressed, I skipped down to the kitchen. Esme had outdone herself.

Edward held my chair for me before settling beside me. There was coffee, orange juice, cereal, toast, pancakes, fried eggs, fried mushrooms, fried tomatoes, and tiny blueberry muffins. Sitting in the middle of it all was a tiny vase with a single white rose.

"This is wonderful, Esme. Thank you," I exclaimed. "Is the rose from your garden?"

"Yes, but that was Edward's idea," she replied, smiling sweetly and ruffling his hair. He swatted her hand away, but grinned back.

I really was hungry, and so I tucked in. I was starting on the muffins when Alice and Jasper walked in.

"Sleep well?" Alice asked with a smile.

"Very well, thank you." I grinned back at her.

"Am I missing something?" Edward asked.

"All in good time," Alice replied, with a wink at me, that Edward could see. "Come on, Jasper. Let's go and find Rosalie and Emmett, and leave these two alone." I waved them off with a mouth full of muffin, as Alice pushed Jasper toward the stairs.

Edward rolled his eyes at them. "If you've eaten enough, Bella, what shall we do this morning?"

"I'd like to take a walk. Mmm, these muffins are delicious."

Edward picked up two more muffins. "Can't have you fainting out there, miles away from food," he said cheekily, flashing his crooked smile. Lifting me out of the chair, he took the white rose and pushed it into my hair. I clasped the arm he offered me, and we walked along the river to the same fallen tree we had sat on the first time I had visited his family. I was trying to work out the best way to tell him the real reason behind Eleazar's visit, when he broke the silence.

"Are you okay, Bella?"

"I'm fine, Edward. Why?"

He lowered his head bashfully. "You were talking in your sleep."

I gave a guarded "oh," as I was unsure what he had heard.

"Nothing coherent. I only picked up odd words here and there, but they puzzled me."

"What did you hear?" I asked, yielding to the inevitable.

"_Powe_r and _help_. They don't sound so good together." I was relieved, and saw a way to broach the events from the day before.

"That's sort of what we need to talk about. I was worried about the electricity business with your family. Knowledge is power, so they say. I wanted to know more about it, but it takes two."

"So," he growled warily, "who was your number two?"

"The obvious choice, Edward. Who was the one most likely _not_ to kill me?"

"Carlisle," we said in unison.

"What happened?" he asked eagerly, his thirst for knowledge outweighing any concerns he may have had for my safety.

"Please hear me out and don't interrupt until I've finished, okay?" Edward agreed, though his forehead creased in worry. "We tried more skin contact and it hurt." Edward made to interrupt. He looked angry. I shook my head. "It hurt _Carlisle_," I explained.

"What? How?" I raised my hand for him to let me finish.

"He talked it over with Eleazar."

"So, that's why they came." I glared at him, and he zipped his mouth shut.

"Eleazar goaded me and I hurt him, while only holding his hand." Edward's eyebrows rose, but he said nothing. "Eleazar says I have a power, but I'm not able to control it because my emotions are all over the place. He's sure I will gain control with practise and some help." I reached over and unzipped his mouth for him.

"Awesome! We touch all the time, so how come you don't hurt me?"

"I think because I don't want to, and partly because we don't have much contact."

"But I hold your hand," Edward said, reaching for it to prove his point. "That's all it took with Eleazar."

"I also said he goaded me. I wasn't in control, and I lashed out."

Edward bristled. "What on earth did he do to get you to lash out?"

"He threatened to bite Carlisle's finger off."

Edward laughed out loud. "I guess that explains your sleep talk—almost."

"Almost?" Now I was worried.

"Yes, I was quite amused at the phrase _lucky Edward_." I blushed and tried to brush it off.

"It was just something Eleazar said."

"You have to explain, Bella. Why would Eleazar say I was lucky that you could hurt vampires?"

I sighed. "Because he believes that, when I learn control, I will be able to choose to inflict pain or…um…pleasure."

Edward took a moment to process that thought, then he smirked and asked, "How can I help?"

"At least to start with, you can't. That's why I went to Carlisle. You must know that you would always be my first choice?"

"It's different with us," Edward stated, understanding perfectly.

"Eleazar thinks I should start with Jasper, to help with my emotions." Edward nodded, seeing the sense in that. "Alice and I have a little plan…"

"Alice knows too?"

"Carlisle wasn't going to chance anything going wrong." _Like him killing me_. "So Alice was there to cover my back, and I think that's why Carmen accompanied Eleazar. I'm sorry I kept this from you, Edward. It was just something I had to do for myself."

"That's what you were doing with Emmett at lunch that day."

"Yes, but he ran off too quickly."

"Not fast enough for my liking. Alright, whatever Alice's plan is, I'm in."

We fell into a routine. Edward would pick me up in his Volvo for school, while the others arrived in either Emmett's jeep or Rosalie's convertible. Alice and Jasper joined Edward and me at lunchtimes, leaving Emmett and Rosalie alone on their old table. After school, the four of us would drive and run to our meadow for a couple of hours, working on controlling my power.

Of course, we worked on causing pain so I could pay Emmett back, but we also practised being able to touch them without any effect, essentially switching my talent off. That particularly pleased Carlisle, who turned up whenever his shifts allowed. I also insisted that we sometimes concentrated on the differences between my power, and what went on between Edward and I. I found I was now aware of Edward entering a room, even if I didn't see him.

Jasper and Alice would often run home from the meadow, while Edward made sure to get me home in time to cook Charlie's dinner. On Saturdays, Edward would come over and we would catch up on school work. On Sundays, if Charlie went fishing, which was most weekends, we would meet up in the meadow again.

This had been going on for a few weeks, when one day at school, Jasper pulled me to one side. "Bella, can I talk to you?"

"Sure." I was surprised, Jasper had never approached me alone before. "I've got a couple of minutes."

"We're aiming to shock Emmett with a little pain," Jasper said, and I nodded in agreement. "But Eleazar believes you can choose to use it to give pleasure as well…"

"I think he's right." I felt myself begin to blush, not realising that it was not _all_ me, until Jasper spoke.

"I would like to ask you a favour. Alice is so obsessed with pranking Emmett that she has not been…close for a while." Jasper seemed a little embarrassed, but continued. "Even at night, she's searching for futures she can't possibly see, trying to work out if you're ready. She's so distracted that she's not even succumbing to my emotions. I wondered if you'd be willing to try something for me?"

"Anything, Jasper. You've helped me so much." I smiled at him, pleased that he could feel how happy it made me to be of service to him.

"I think that if you tried to send pleasure, it might get Alice in the mood." Jasper obviously picked up on my worry about what that would do, adding, "I'd take it from there. Take Alice, I mean—well away."

I considered his request. _Wouldn't Alice see what we were doing? _"Okay, Jasper, but you will have to decide at the last moment and help me with the relevant emotions. I'll go along with it and see what happens."

A few days later, in the meadow, I had zapped Alice with enough power to give her a headache, and she celebrated by hugging me. Over her shoulder, I caught Jasper's eye, and he gave a wink and a big grin as he sent me a strong wave of happiness and joy. Making sure my hands connected with Alice's neck, I relaxed and thought nice things as I channelled the emotions. I guess it worked a treat, as Jasper had pulled Alice from my arms and disappeared before I could blink.

I overbalanced, suddenly not having Alice to cling to, but of course, Edward was right there to hold me.

"What happened, Bella?" he asked. "I know you and Jasper set that up, so tell me why."

"Jasper just wanted to spend some quality time with Alice," I answered, as I turned into Edward's arms and kissed him. It felt so good. Edward buried his fingers in my hair, pressing my lips more firmly to his. I felt his hips begin to push toward mine, and wound one leg round the back of his.

He pulled away. "Bella, stop," he gasped. "Stop before I hurt you." He held me at arm's length until my breathing, and his, returned to normal. "Okay, that's enough for today. Let's get you back to Charlie's." He swung me on his back, and we almost flew back to my truck.

"You'll be the death of me, Bella Swan." I heard him mutter.

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**AN. Hope you enjoyed some Edward and Jasper. We're playing with Emmett next chapter. Leave a review and don't forget to ask if you want a taster of Emmett.**


	10. Chapter 10 Revenge

**AN: Sorry this is a bit late going up, but I wanted it to be as good as I could get it, because it should have been the end. After Bella's revenge on Emmett, I felt that I had probably milked what hilarity I could from the situation, and I expect I was right. Lucky for you guys, Eleazar had other ideas, so tune in next week.**

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**I can't thank my betas enough for this one.**** Angel_eyes1_uk and EvilPumpkin**** , you've inspired me to up my game yet again.**

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**Disclaimer: SM still rules the world.**

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**Revenge**

**Emmett's POV**

I couldn't understand why Jasper and Alice were spending so much time with Edward and Bella. They drove off together every afternoon, and Alice and Jasper disappeared most Sundays, too. I tried to get Rose to at least sit with them at lunch, but all she'd say was, "Let the freaks sit together."

It was nice spending time with Rose, but I missed guy time. Rosalie could fight as well as any man, but I couldn't brawl with her because I'd always let her win. Wrestling with Rose was nothing like scrapping with my brothers—thank God. I shook my head to erase that image from my brain. Rose was rubbish on the Xbox, too.

They wouldn't hunt with me. Jasper had come along a few times at night, but even Carlisle didn't seem to be around as much. The last time that I got Jasper away, I asked him what they had gotten up to while they were gone. He said that it was girl stuff.

Then today at school, Bella had sidelined me.

"Hey, Emmett." She beckoned me to stoop down nearly to my knees, so that she could talk in my ear. "Do you want to know what Alice and Jasper have been doing?"

"Hell, yeah! You know about that?"

She tapped the side of her nose and winked. "Do you know the meadow Edward takes me to?"

"Sure."

"Meet me there on Saturday at noon." Bella scurried off to her next class.

Why, I wondered was she going all _Secret Squirrel _on me? I considered whether to buy a black cloak and a rakish hat for our meeting.

**Bella's POV**

As soon as Charlie left for work, Edward and I got stuck into our school work so that we would be finished in plenty of time to get to the meadow by noon. I drove down the one-ten, parking at the end of the pavement.

We hadn't been in the meadow long when Alice and Jasper arrived. Alice pointed out which direction Emmett would arrive from, and she sprayed the area, and me, liberally with perfume, before they all hid among the trees. I settled down on the ground, pulling a sandwich, a bottle of water, and a book from my backpack. Alice had said Emmett was running late, so I started on my lunch, getting stuck into 'Little Women'.

Even though I was expecting him, I still jumped at Emmett's loud, "Hey, Bella."

**Emmett's POV**

I was a little later than we had arranged because I'd had trouble getting away from Rose.

"You're going for a _run_, Emmett?" she'd asked, looking real sexy with a wrench in her hand.

"Yes, Babe." I smiled sweetly.

"A run?" She took a moment to consider that. "Where to? Why?"

"In the woods. It's healthy and I just feel like running," I told her.

"Healthy!" Rosalie rolled her eyes, but didn't comment further. "Okay, shall we go now?" She took a rag from her pocket and started wiping her hands.

"Err, I really want to run by myself, if you don't mind, my little grease monkey." Rose looked at me as if I was mad. "Um…I have some thinking to do, and…and you're so beautiful and sexy that you would be too distracting, sugar," I pleaded.

"Hmmph." Hands on hips, Rose looked me up and down. "I suppose you'll need a shower when you get back—so will I." The wrench pressed into my butt as she pulled me close and attacked my mouth. "I intend to get _very_ greasy," she whispered in my ear, rubbing my junk to emphasise her meaning. "Pick me up on your way to the shower." Releasing me, she headed back into the garage.

I sprinted off in the direction of the meadow before she changed her mind, smiling as I thought about what I would be coming back to.

I could smell her before I saw her. She reeked of highly overpriced, stomach churning perfume. Maybe I should have wondered about that because it wasn't like Bella. I slowed to a human run before emerging from the trees, but she still jumped in surprise, which was real funny. While I was dying with laughter, she nearly choked and ended up hiccoughing, I helped her out with a tiny slap on the back.

The hiccoughs stopped, though Bella was now face down in the dirt. "Gee, thanks, Emmett," she sniped as she stood up. Oops!

I'd never been totally alone with Bella, and it struck me that I shouldn't have been there. "Are you sure this is a good idea? I'm not quite as…careful as Edward."

"It's fine, Emmett," she assured me, dusting herself off. "I trust you. At least, I trust your body, if not your mind. I mean, you're a bit of a pussy, Emmett McCarty Cullen, aren't you?"

My first thought was whether she had hit her head on the ground. Then I decided that she just didn't know me very well. "You're mixing me up with Edward," I told her.

"Oh, really?" Hands on her hips, Bella stalked toward me. "Was it Edward who ran off like a little girl because I touched his face?"

I backed away in confusion. "What are you doing? Don't pick a fight with me, Bella, I _really_ don't want to hurt you."

Bella laughed. "I'm not afraid of you, Emmett."

"You should be," I retorted. Bella was still advancing, and I was circling backwards as I tried to keep space between us. "I can crush your skull like…swatting a fly," I warned. "To be honest, that worries me."

"Hah! Pussy!" she crowed, nearly jabbing me with her finger.

_Has this girl got a death wish?_ "Knock it off, Bella." She had at least stopped.

"Scared are you?" she smirked.

"Hell, yeah! Scared of damaging you." I stood upright, towering over her. She turned her back to me. Yeah, I was that intimidating.

"I doubt you'd manage that," she remarked carelessly.

"You're being ridiculous." I almost laughed, reminding myself that she was only human—and a girl, but my fists were clenched anyway.

Facing me again, Bella made little cat ears, curling her fingers above her temples. "Mee…ow," she taunted. I was growling at her now—time to walk away before I lost control.

As I turned to leave, Bella calmly and quietly said, "Emmett McCarty Cullen, I challenge you to an arm wrestle."

All my anger forgotten, I laughed loudly as I swung back round. "Sometimes, Bella, you're adorable."

"So, come on then." Bella challenged, pushing up her sleeve.

"Come on?" I questioned her sanity. "There's nothing to wrestle."

"Can't beat a human, Emmett? Can't even beat one little girl?"

"It's not like that, Bella, and you know it!"

"Come on," she said, walking off to one side of the meadow. I followed as she stood by a large rock, putting her elbow on the top, hand in the air. "Okay, big guy. Show me what you've got."

"I can't," I stammered. "I…I don't want to."

"Then I'll call you out at school, and tell them all how a great big guy like you could be such a baby!" I'd been confused, angry, and amused, but now I found the situation tiresome. With a sigh, I knelt on the other side and put my arm to hers. What harm was there in letting her push against me? I'd just keep still.

As soon as our skin made contact, that damned tingling started—that was going to be tedious. I didn't know if Bella was pushing or not, because really, I wouldn't know the difference. By the concentration on her face, I'd say she was giving it her best shot. That tingling—it travelled right up my arm and into my head, buzzing like a lost mosquito. My head…ached.

Okay, so maybe I could shift my arm a tiny bit, enough to put a stop to this.

I moved the slightest amount, and the errant mosquito got real angry and started jabbing stings into my brain. The tingling had become more of a crackle, and it ran up and down my arm building in intensity until the whole limb appeared to explode with pain and burned like I was holding it in a furnace.

I wanted to pull away, but my arm was locked tight. I did the only thing I could, and used my free arm to lever myself away from the rock, breaking the contact.

I jerked backwards and fell right onto…Edward?

**Edward's POV**

I carried Bella to the meadow. The nearer we got, the more convinced I was that this was a bad idea.

"Bella, are you sure that you've thought this through?"

She sighed. "Yes, Edward."

"I don't want you to get hurt. You're so fragile, you know?"

"I'll be fine," she said as Alice and Jasper arrived. "The three of you will be close by, and you can watch everything."

"Stop fussing," Alice admonished "I've seen it—it's fine. Emmett's coming this way. He's running a little late, Bella."

"We should get in position," Jasper ordered.

Alice gave Bella a quick hug. "Have fun," she squealed, then took Jasper's hand and they both disappeared.

"Be safe. I won't be far," I told Bella, giving her a quick kiss.

"Keep hidden, though. Don't go ruining it, Edward." I rolled my eyes, and slipped away amongst the trees, taking up my position on a sturdy branch, close to the rock Bella wanted to use.

I had been apprehensive, not sure Bella could handle Emmett. I was wrong. She played him like a fool, and pushed his buttons. Her domination was sexy to watch. And dangerous. It took all my control not to jump down and defend her; I was glad my fingernails were short as the tension gathered in my balled fists.

I could tell when Emmett was affected, and luckily saw his intention to move his arm. As the pain hit, I dropped in a flash and grabbed his wrist. No way was I chancing him lashing out near Bella. I held Emmett's wrist like a vice, so intent that it wouldn't knock Bella, that Emmett fell on me before I knew what had happened. "Bella, are you alright?" I asked from under the man mountain.

"Edward?" she giggled. "Where are you?" Bella was laughing hard, along with Alice and Jasper. The latter at least had the decency to pull Emmett up off me.

"There you are, and _you_ were worried about _me_," Bella exclaimed.

**Emmett's POV**

Jasper pulled me up.

"Holy shit! What just happened?" I examined my arm, expecting to see scars. Nothing. Alice, Bella, and Jasper were all laughing. "Seriously, what was that, dude?"

"That, dear brother, was Bella," Alice answered.

"Bella?" How could sweet little Bella have done that? "But, it was like I was on fire."

"Neat, huh? She's been practising." Jasper enlightened me.

"Bella, huh? Bad-ass!"

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**AN: Did you enjoy Bella's revenge on Emmett? Or was it lame? If you ask me nicely, I'll send you an excerpt from chapter eleven.  
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**I hope you've enjoyed the light-hearted fun with everyone. As I said at the start of the chapter, Eleazar hi-jacked my story. Next chapter is longer and has a very different feel to it. It is not so fluffy, but I have tried to incorporate a few laughs where possible. Nobody was more surprised than me at what happens next, but the Cullens can take me out and play with me any time they fancy!**


	11. Chapter 11 Assault

**AN. I'm not good at violence. My betas wanted more drama, and I honestly tried. If it's not enough, feel free to imagine some. I would also like to confess that I wrote this story before reading Breaking Dawn, so I had no clue about Kate's power. Hopefully, you have already seen that Bella's is significantly different, but if not, you will in chapter 13.**

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**As always, ****angel_eyes1_uk and EvilPumpkin** have done me proud. Thanks guys, it was a long one!

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**SM rocks, and we love her for lending us her characters.**

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**Assault**

**Eleazar's POV**

It was fairly easy to suggest to Carmen that the Cullen ladies might like to visit for some girl time and retail therapy. I also hatched the idea that they should do so when the men wanted a weekend away. Alice and Rosalie arrived the previous night and the others went to Mt Baker National Forest to hunt. Esme went hunting, saying she had not seen much of Carlisle lately, but I was banking on Edward remaining at home with young Isabella.

On approaching the house, I was rewarded by the sound of a heartbeat, and was pleased to find that my hunch was correct. My head was intentionally full of memories of the many good times we have shared with Carlisle and Esme. I heard Edward tell Bella that I was there, and they were coming down the stairs to meet me as I opened the door.

"Good morning, Edward. Lovely to meet you again, Isabella," I greeted them.

"Eleazar, the family are all out at the moment."

"I should very much like to talk with you, Edward. I wish to surprise Carlisle and Esme and want to run some things by you. Perhaps we could take a walk—would you excuse us my dear?" I took Edward's elbow, and steered him outside and away from the house.

**Edward's POV**

I couldn't believe my luck. Carlisle and Esme had taken Emmett and Jasper off to Mt. Baker, and Alice and Rosalie had gone on a shopping spree in Denali. Before she went, Alice had convinced Charlie to let Bella stay over with her tonight, so we had the weekend and the house to ourselves.

We were looking through the books in Carlisle's study, when I heard Eleazar approaching. "We have a visitor. From his thoughts, I'd say Eleazar wants to see Carlisle."

We were descending the stairs when Eleazar came in and commandeered me to discuss a surprise trip for Carlisle and Esme. As Eleazar outlined his plans and asked my opinion on possible destinations, he was walking me along the river track at some speed. At first it was refreshing, as I had meandered at human pace so much lately. I had a bad feeling that Eleazar was being careful with his thoughts; there was a nagging hint of worry that I couldn't pin down. I had not paid attention to our whereabouts, and was shocked when I realised how far from the house we were.

"We should head back now, Eleazar," I suggested, eager to return to Bella.

"Yes, yes, in a moment. I need to ask…" I did not hear his words as I concentrated on his thoughts. _What?_

"Eleazar, what is not long enough?" The guilty look on his face was all I needed to send me speeding back home, running flat out.

**James' POV**

I waited in position until I heard the door slam shut—my signal to move in. He would lead the vampire in the other direction, leaving the human girl unprotected. My hunting and tracking skills were instinctual, and I moved in as they moved away, keeping half an ear on her pounding heartbeat. The weird-eyed one had told me of the vampire's mind reading, so I was extra careful. Once I'd entered the building, I homed in on that heartbeat.

This was going to be easy. All I had to do was grab the girl and run her to Forks airport, where Victoria waited to fly us to our hideaway. Victoria would turn her, and a couple of days later weird-eyes would "find" her and "save" her—job done. Easy money that we would soon be flashing around Las Vegas or Atlantic City.

The building had a stench similar to weird-eyes, but the human smelled good enough. Silently, I climbed the stairs and slipped into the room. She was lying on a black couch in a room full of books and Cds, her eyes shut and wearing earphones. I stood by the couch and ran my finger along her pale arm. Her eyes flew open.

"Hello," I whispered. She was confused and shocked, yet didn't scream. "You know what I am, don't you?"

"Yes," she whispered, wide eyed.

"You know there's no point in running." She nodded slowly.

"I'm going to take you somewhere nice. If you don't scream, then I won't have to hurt you, understand?" She nodded again. I scooped her up and a shiver ran down her spine, tingling my fingers. Damn static earphones!

She was obviously still in shock, and I decided to travel as far as possible before she snapped out of it. I took off with her in my arms. After a while she gave a small moan. "Shush, or I'll have to hurt you," I hissed. She tensed at that, and then went limp in my arms.

Slowly she brought her head up to look into my eyes, it made me uncomfortable—humans didn't do that. She reached her arms toward me, and touched my face on either side. No human had _ever_ touched my face. She spent a lot of time with vampires, but still. It was shocking. Confusing. Her fingertips brushed my temples, her eyes pierced mine with an icy glare, and my head erupted in pain. I saw stars momentarily, and shook my head to clear it.

In one fluid movement, I dropped her and spun around to face who or whatever had hit me. I couldn't see or smell anyone. I ranged my hearing as far as I could, at the very edge I heard someone running fast. Very fast.

Weird-eyes had been most insistent that we would not be paid if the girl stayed human, or if she died. In the face of a possible rescue, I could at least turn the human. I took her arm and bit into her wrist as the runner barrelled into me, shoving me back.

**Alice's POV**

After an evening catching up with Carmen, Tanya, Kate, and Irina, I spent the night sorting through their wardrobes to inform them which essential fashion items they lacked. Eleazar had gone hunting alone yesterday evening, and had not yet returned, so Carmen went shopping with us girls. I was enjoying our trip to the Dimond Center in Anchorage, and was in Journeys trying on a long, black pair of Frye boots, when my world stopped.

Luckily, the girls were all clustered around chattering and hadn't noticed anything—all except Rosalie.

"Alice?" I barely heard her. "What is it?"

"A cell," I whispered, holding out my hand. "Give me a cell." Rosalie responded quickly, and I dialled. "Carlisle? I just saw Eleazar. No, he's not here. He…killed…Edward." I had spoken so softly that no one but Rosalie heard. In a flash, she had thrown off the boots, grabbed my shoes, and virtually carried me out of the store. The cell was still in my hand, and I could hear Carlisle calling my name over and over.

"We're going somewhere more private," Rosalie said, so that Carlisle could hear, and the next thing I remember she slapped my face. We were sat in the corner of a parking lot, Rosalie was shaking me. "Alice, are you certain? Tell me _exactly_ what you saw, in as much detail as you can."

"First, Bella was lying on the ground screaming in the woods. She was pale, even for her. Edward leaned over her and yelled at someone else. I couldn't hear the words above Bella's screams. He yelled some more, and I saw it was aimed at Eleazar. Then I saw Edward stand still, a dreadful look on his face, and Eleazar…Eleazar…"

"Okay, we get it, Alice," Rosalie sobbed.

"Alice?" Carlisle's voice came from the cell. "Has this happened already? Could it be a future?"

"Oh! I guess it _could_ be a future. Yes, that must be it. He can't be…gone."

"I'm sending the boys home. Esme and I will follow in the Jeep. If anything can be done, we'll do it."

"We know. Tell the boys we love them and to run fast," Rosalie said, shutting the cell, and holding me as I heaved with tears, I could not shed.

**Edward's POV**

I sped back to the house, picking up a scent and following it until I could hear Bella's heartbeat. Then I saw him, bent over her, and in a rage I knocked him away. We both went sprawling and came up fighting. He was a good opponent, hard to anticipate as he barely thought about his actions. I think I managed a few good hits before he got me in a stranglehold.

I thought it was inevitable then, my head was coming off. He roared loudly, maybe winding himself up for the kill. To my amazement he let go, so I jumped on him, and with a roar of my own, furious that he had touched Bella, I ripped his head from his body before he could blink. Bella was on the floor at my feet, screaming in agony. A cursory examination located one injury. A bite. That was the moment Eleazar caught up to me.

I turned to him. "This is your fault!" I yelled, "I will not let her become this!"

"She will make a fine vampire, Edward."

"No! I would rather kill us both!" I cradled her in my arms, every scream like a knife to my frozen heart.

"Tell me, Eleazar, is there anything I can do?"

With a loud sigh, he said, "Drink, Edward. Suck it out like snake venom."

"You know I won't be able to stop," I almost pleaded.

"Then I will grant your wish, and kill you also."

"That would be very handy for you…more easily explained."

"But regrettable."

I had no choice—I had to try.

**Rosalie's POV**

I ended the call to Carlisle, and dialled Edward's number. It went to voicemail. I dialled again—voicemail. A dozen tries was enough; no, one last try—nothing. I tried Emmett, and Esme answered. "Oh, hi, Esme. Anything yet?"

"No, but I can't believe that Eleazar would hurt Edward." I could tell from her voice that Carlisle was driving fast over the bumpy ground, throwing her around the Jeep. "The boys are on their way. They're going to swim across Puget Sound to save some time."

"Call if you hear anything."

"Likewise."

I let the phone drop to the floor, and Alice and I hugged each other while our bodies heaved in grief. The others found us, rushing to fling their arms around us and console us.

"Whatever is the matter?" Carmen asked.

"You don't know, Carmen?" I hissed.

"Of course not, how could I? We were having such a good time, and then…you were gone." Carmen seemed genuinely puzzled.

"Where is Eleazar, Carmen? Where is he right now?" I demanded.

"He went hunting. He may be back by now…or not." I was watching her intently, worry crossed her brow. "Why? Has something happened?"

"I _really_ hope not, for Eleazar's sake."

"What is all this about Eleazar? What is going on?" Carmen looked frightened, and the girls looked up from comforting Alice, frowning. "Please, tell me."

"We think Eleazar is in Forks."

"In Forks? Is he okay?"

"Alice had a vision," I said.

"Not a good one," Carmen stated, though she looked questioningly at Alice.

"Does he have a cell on him?" I asked, hopefully.

"No no, you know how he hates those things. I have ours here."

Kate turned to Alice. "What did you see?"

Alice's brow furrowed and she shook her head. "I can't," she whimpered, turning away.

"She saw Eleazar kill Edward," I enlightened them. Kate and Irina hissed. Tanya sucked in air, clapping her hand over her mouth.

Carmen said very quietly, "No, it cannot be."

"You know something," I accused.

"Not really," she replied, resignedly. "He's just been so preoccupied since discovering Bella's power."

"I might have known this would be about _her_," I glowered.

"Rosalie, that's not fair." Alice seemed to have regained some composure. She grabbed the cell from the floor and called Edward again. And again. And again…

Gently, Carmen curled her hands around Alice's, closing the phone. "Come," she said. "We should go. Six beautiful women sitting on the floor in the corner of a parking lot, how would we explain that?"

Knowing there was nothing more that we could do, we returned to their house to wait for news. Alice continued her incessant calling of Edward's cell.

**Edward's POV**

I put my lips around her wrist, the taste of her blood momentarily masked by the venom, and then began to drink. Such nectar. How could I refrain from the sweetest, most exciting taste possible? I had to. I refused to lose Bella, and I could not let Eleazar succeed.

With a huge effort, I found that I had stopped and her heart was still beating. Bella was pale and weak, but alive. "Don't even think of running, Eleazar. You know that we'd hunt you down," I warned him.

I carried her back to the house and laid her on my bed. My. Bed. I didn't even have a bed until one arrived yesterday. Alice, of course, had ordered it so that Bella would not need to sleep on my couch again. This was not how I had envisioned using it.

I needed to get some fluids into her to help replace the blood, and sugar for the shock. "Eleazar," I ordered. I couldn't trust him to stay with Bella, and his constant stream of regret and apology was tiresome.

"How can I help, Edward? I'm so sorry. I can see now that I was wrong."

"Can you make some sweet tea? Plenty of sugar." I interrupted him.

"Yes, I'm fairly sure I can," he replied, disappearing down to the kitchen.

I sat on the edge of the bed, then scooted up by the headboard, propping Bella up against my chest ready to help her drink the tea. Eleazar also brought up a glass of milk, a glass of orange juice, and a plate with a couple of cookies. He sheepishly placed them on top of a bookcase within my reach, before backing out to wait downstairs.

Bella drank half the orange juice while we waited for the tea to cool a little. By the time she had drunk the tea, she was looking quite a bit better, and gladly ate the cookies. When I was satisfied that she would be okay, I laid her back on the bed, and held her hand as she drifted off to sleep.

Eleazar was sat in the lounge, as still as a statue. I took a chair opposite, and listened in to his thoughts_._ He might have been outwardly calm, but he was back-pedalling like mad underneath._ If he's left her, she must be alright. That's good. what was I thinking? What's he going to do? I'm sorry. Why doesn't he say anything? So sorry_.

I smirked to myself. Let him squirm.

_Is he waiting for the others? I don't like the look of that smile, I wish I knew what he was thinking. Mierda! He _can_ hear what I'm thinking. Edward, I'm _so _sorry. I really didn't mean any harm_.

I had to stop his train of thought before I got very angry. "Who was he?" I asked to distract him.

"His name was James. He was just supposed to take her somewhere safe."

"And then what?" I asked, although I could _see_ his intent.

He hung his head as he answered. "We would turn her."

"You meant no harm?" I scoffed.

"No. She would have been a magnificent vampire. I am sure of it."

"It didn't occur to you that she might have an opinion? To give her chance to express one? Where was he taking her?"

"I don't know, I swear. It was safer if I didn't know. He was going to call me."

"Was anyone else involved?"

"No, I don't think so." We sat there a while in silence. Eventually, Eleazar asked, "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know, Eleazar. I do know I'm not leaving Bella, so get nice and comfortable. We're not going anywhere soon.

Eleazar's mind then wondered about his family, and what they were doing. I listened to the comforting beat of the heart upstairs. On my bed.

Soon I sensed two other minds in the vicinity—not very original ones. "Ah, the cavalry." I smiled to Eleazar, as Emmett and Jasper crashed through the door and pinned him down, one on each side.

"Hey, Bro. Still got yer head then?" Emmett almost sounded disappointed. Jasper was mentally scanning the place for any other threats.

Not sensing any, he relaxed and asked, "What now?"

"Now, Jasper, I'm going to see to Bella, who has woken up—no doubt due to your stealthy entrance." I replied sarcastically, and rolled my eyes as I left the room and climbed the stairs to my room.

Bella was hungry, and on our way to the kitchen I called out, "You can let him go. He knows he's not going anywhere." I poured a bowl of cereal, Bella grabbed a couple more cookies, and we joined the others in the lounge, where Emmett and Jasper sandwiched Eleazar on the couch.

"So, Edward. How come you're alive? Alice saw Eleazar here rip your head off." Emmett thumped Eleazar's chest to punctuate his point, causing Eleazar to cough and nearly double up with the careless force.

"That was a possibility." I told them the whole story. "So, Alice must have had her vision at the moment Eleazar decided to kill me if Bella died."

"Dude." Emmett was shaking his head.

"Hang on," Jasper interrupted. "Back up a bit. You did burn the guy, right?"

"Jeez, no."

**Jasper's POV**

How could Edward have overlooked burning this James guy? I grabbed a lighter from the kitchen and ran off in the direction Edward indicated. I easily followed their scent, soon found the pieces of vampire, and scouted around for a clearing in which to burn them.

I heard a cell phone. Just as I spied it, it stopped ringing. Recognising it as Edward's, I flipped it open. 187 missed calls, and there it went again—I answered.

"Edward? Thank goodness! Why haven't you answered? I've been calling and calling. Are you okay? You are okay? Aren't you? Edward?"

"It's me, Darlin'," I chuckled, amused that this was the 188th call. Luckily, Alice was too stressed to notice.

"Jasper? Oh my God! Where's Edward? I've been trying to call him. You two clowns left your cells in the Jeep. Carlisle and Esme didn't know anything and…"

"Alice, breathe. Edward's fine. Bella's fine. Everyone's fine. Oh, except some guy I'm gathering up."

"What guy?"

"Looks like a nomad. Red eyes. Apparently went by the name of James."

**Bella's POV**

When I felt that cold finger run down my arm, I had assumed it was Edward. I was more shocked that it wasn't him than I was to find myself faced with the stranger. When he told me that he wouldn't hurt me if I behaved, I realised the danger I was in, and I was terrified.

He carried me away in his arms, and all I could think about was what had happened to Edward. When he shushed me and threatened me again, I was petrified. There was nothing I could do.

Yes, there was. I relaxed and calmed myself, gathering my wits. I went over in my mind all the times we had had any success in the meadow, and I thought about never seeing Edward again. When I was ready, I looked into my abductor's face, put my fingers to his temples, and channelled pain. It must have worked, because he dropped me. Not that it did me any good—in return he bit my arm. I don't know what else he might have done, as Edward knocked him over, and they began to fight.

The pain of the bite had spread up my arm like wildfire. I forced myself onto my feet and staggered toward the fight. The stranger had hold of Edward. Edward couldn't move. With horror, I realised that he was attempting to pull Edward's head from his body. _NO! _I launched myself the last few feet, intent on one of his bare feet.

I don't recall anything after that, except excruciating pain, until I regained consciousness as Edward laid me on a huge bed.

**Victoria's POV**

I was waiting at Forks Airport in the small plane we'd rented. When James didn't show up, I decided to go and look for him. I was very careful, as James had been bragging about his plan to distract the vampire that reads your thoughts, and I didn't want anyone in my head.

I only knew the general direction James should be coming, but it wasn't long before I smelt the fire and saw the purple smoke, like a beacon above the trees. I hurried toward it, hoping to find James fanning the flames. There was no one around, but I saw with horror that the remains belonged to my James, and they were charred beyond redemption.

I was about to scream in my grief, when I caught the sound of a voice, and stuffed my fist in my mouth to strangle the scream. I climbed high in the trees until I spied the voice's owner, tall and lean with fair hair.

"Alice, love," he was saying. "Carlisle and Esme will be back soon. Eleazar's not going anywhere with Emmett almost in his lap." _So, he has a mate_. I would stay and find out more about this Alice.

**Edward's POV**

Emmett was obviously not going to let Eleazar out of his reach. "Carlisle and Esme will be here soon," he said. Eleazar groaned at the thought of Carlisle arriving.

Soon we heard the Jeep coming, and Eleazar became restless. I was glad that I had not done anything rash, because this was going to be so much sweeter. Eleazar's thoughts were squirming now, and I watched through his eyes as a smile spread across my face. He had seen how much I would be enjoying this.

As the Jeep came to a stop and the engine cut, he prepared himself for Carlisle's wrath, welcoming physical pain to balance his inner turmoil. My smile grew—he would get no such release, as that was not Carlisle's nature.

As soon as he saw I was safe, Carlisle's anger dissipated. "Why?" he sighed. Eleazar could not look at him_._

_Uh-oh!_

I was out of my seat in a flash, and caught Esme's wrist just in time. I brought her hand down to her lap, wrapping my arms around her. "It would only make him feel better, and you would hate yourself tomorrow," I whispered in her ear, steering her over to sit with Bella and me.

"Spoilsport!" Emmett complained.

Carlisle approached Eleazar. "Eleazar, why?" he asked again.

He hung his head. "I was stupid."

Jasper jogged in. "Here, Edward," he called, throwing me my cell. "Dang thing's dead. At least it lasted long enough to put Alice out of her misery."

I caught the cell and got up to charge it, passing Carlisle on my way.

"Edward." I turned back to him. "Are you okay?" He studied my face. _Your eyes are a little…red. Is there something you want to tell me?_

"Not my fault." I held my hands up. "He had bitten her. There was nothing else I could do. If I hadn't drunk her blood…"

Carlisle nodded then, in understanding, as a huge smile lit up his face. _I'm proud of you, son_.

**.**

**AN. Well, what did you think? Not the light-hearted fluff we've had so far, was it? I'm with Emmett—I would have let Esme hit Eleazar.**

**Mierda is Spanish for shit, apparently. I can only hope it works as a swearword in Spanish as well as it does in English. If not, I'm sorry but I don't know any Spanish swearwords.**

**Review and tell me if you want a taste of things to come.  
**


	12. Chapter 12 Aftermath

**AN. Big thanks this week to EvilPumpkin and Angel_ Eyes1_UK, I appreciate that you guys are busy and still find time for me—just don't forget to sleep!**

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**Disclaimer: I can't claim to be SM, so I don't own anything.**

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**Aftermath**

**Alice's POV**

Over the following weeks, I kept getting flashes of a redheaded nomad. It was not unusual for me to pick up on other vampires when they were in the vicinity. What was strange was that she didn't move on.

**Jasper's POV**

I had gone to borrow some music from Edward, trying to find something new that I could enjoy while Alice was out shopping. We were discussing the latest Mariners game, when Alice came in to reclaim her auction catalogue. Half way across the room she froze, her eyes glazing over. I immediately rushed to her side in case she lost her balance.

"What is it, Alice? What did you see?" I didn't like the look on her face, or the fear and uncertainty that emanated from her.

"It was the redhead I've been glimpsing. She must have been watching me. She's going to kill me."

"You mean she's going to try," I growled. "If you know when and where I'll be there to stop her! We'll have the element of surprise."

"You're not going without me," Edward chimed in. Alice looked a little more relaxed, and reached up to kiss me.

"What would I do without you, Jazz?" she said, grabbing the catalogue, "You, too, Edward. Thanks." Off she skipped, calling over her shoulder, "Try the 100 Monkeys, Jazz. You're going to love them."

**Victoria's POV**

I had followed and studied the strange vampires from a distance, and had found a way to isolate the one called Alice: Every Wednesday night she walked alone in the woods near the house. This Wednesday I would be waiting.

My plan was going smoothly, until two of the men revealed that they had accompanied her. I scowled at the fair one, remembering the purple smoke, and wanting to hurt him.

The brown haired one spoke. "_He_ didn't kill your friend."

_He was my mate! _I wanted to scream out loud, but I was loathe to tell them anything. _Didn't kill him? He's a fighter, riddled with scars_. My eyes roamed the skin that was visible, picking out the bite marks. He was watching me warily, making sure he stayed between me and the girl.

The other male continued. "He would have. If he were there."

_He wasn't there? But I bet _you_ were_, I thought, spinning around to glare at him.

"It was me. I had no choice." It was almost as if he was answering me.

_Could he be the mind reader_? I snarled and made to launch myself at him. The other two quickly reminded me how outnumbered I was, growling at me from beside him.

Moving to block my view of his mate, the fair haired one spoke. "What's done is done. You should go."

As livid as I was, there was nothing I could do. At least, not right now. But they hadn't seen the last of me.

**Alice's POV**

Over the next month, I kept an eye on the redhead. She hung around for a while, deciding what to do: then she left and I saw her meet up with a dark-skinned vampire, a nomad like herself. She appeared to know him quite well—maybe he was her mate? They moved on together, I saw nothing more, and drew a line under the incident.

**Edward's POV**

"I'm going to miss you." I carried Bella's bag out to the truck.

"It's only a week, Edward. I'm sure you'll survive."

"I'm not at all sure I will."

"Go hunting, Edward. Go shopping with Alice, drool over cars with Rosalie, clean the house for Esme, or volunteer at the hospital. Keep busy and I'll be back in no time."

"Can't I change your mind?" I swept her hair from her neck and kissed the nape. "I'm sure Angela would understand."

She leaned into me and sighed. "No. Her Mom and Dad wouldn't go if I cried off, and you know it."

"Okay." I saw her into the driver's seat and closed the door. "Have a great time, and look after yourself."

"I'll see you on Saturday night after Charlie goes to bed," she promised. _Roll on Saturday_.

"Bye, love." I watched until the truck was out of sight. It was going to be one long week.

It had been a long time since we last went hunting as a family, so Carlisle swapped a couple of shifts and we headed off to North Cascades National Park. We spent Sunday night and Monday tracking the wildlife wherever it went, and by the early hours of Tuesday morning, we began meandering in the general direction of the vehicles.

I spotted a small clump of eritrichium nanum, or alpine forget-me-nots, and called Esme over to see the delightful, rare flowers. The moment was spoilt by Alice's piercing cry. We all ran swiftly to her; she rarely had visions while hunting, so we knew it must be important.

As soon as I saw the horror on her face, I got a sickly feeling in the pit of my stomach. The only one absent was Bella. Then I saw the vision as Alice recalled it: Bella was in Port Angeles and she was being attacked by two vampires—the redhead and the guy with the dreads.

"We have to go to Port Angeles!" I sprinted off in the direction of our cars.

Carlisle yelled after me. "Edward, hold up. We're coming with you! Esme—you and the girls take the Jeep." I slowed my pace slightly to match Carlisle and my brothers. Before long we were jumping into Carlisle's Mercedes—he didn't even try to stop me driving. I hurtled down the twenty, heading for the one-o-one.

We had just crossed the five when Jasper's cell rang. The caller spoke too faintly to hear, and Jasper didn't say a word.

"Who was that, Jasper?" I was really worried as his mind flashed through dates and pictures of Civil War battles, his emotions all over the place. He pulled himself together and sent a wave of calm through the car.

"That was Alice," he said, too calmly. "She's been searching." He paused, then very softly added, "She can't see Bella at all."

"What does that mean? Get her back on the phone. Tell her to keep looking," I insisted.

"Edward, there's nothing to see," he pleaded. "She's tried."

Carlisle's hand squeezed my shoulder from behind. "Let's not jump to conclusions."

We reached Port Angeles less than two hours after Alice's vision, quickly following Bella's scent to a patch of woody land at the back of an RV park, running alongside the County Courthouse. There was no sign of Bella—no scent, no blood, nothing. It was as if she'd disappeared. The four of us spread out and searched thoroughly, still coming up with nothing.

I was frantic; Jasper was trying hard to keep me calm. Emmett sat on the ground, his head in his hands, shaking it in disbelief.

"I don't know what could have happened here," Carlisle stated, trying to make sense of it. "There are plenty of scents around. It's quite a busy area, but nothing seems relevant."

I called Alice again. "It's as if she vanished, Alice…and you can't get anything after that?"

"Come on, son. We're doing no good here. We don't want to draw attention. Let's go home." Carlisle meant well, but I hated that he was right. How could we abandon Bella? With no clue where to continue looking, I let them steer me back to the Mercedes.

"Can we at least go and see Charlie? He might know something," I pleaded.

"That would raise too many questions," Carlisle reasoned, then tried to placate me. "Maybe we could stop at the hospital on the way and I can check she's not there." I had to settle for that.

We didn't find her at the hospital.

**Victoria's POV**

I wasn't going to let them get away with killing James. I hung around and gathered as much information about them as I could before I left to find Laurent. Laurent had always had an eye for me; with James gone I could get him to do anything I wanted.

I couldn't risk getting too close to the coven, so we based ourselves in an old disused garage in Port Angeles. I familiarised Laurent with the general Forks area and had him scout out the locale. I was uneasy as I still couldn't work out why Alice had taken the two men with her that night. I didn't want to make the same mistake again.

Laurent had been following the big man and the blond woman, and I met him at our usual spot in Webster Park. As we walked back to our base, I caught the scent of the human girl.

_Playing with their little pet could be entertaining, and they would be upset when they found her drained carcass_, I thought and tracked her.

She was not far away, and we found her skirting the Courthouse parking lot.

**Bella's POV**

It was harder than I thought, driving away from Edward, but I was looking forward to spending time with Angela. I hadn't seen much of my human friends since discovering my electricity. I turned into the driveway in time to see the cab drive off with her Mom and Dad, going to the airport.

I left my bag in the hallway while we made coffee and caught up on all the gossip. There wasn't much I could tell Angela about what I'd been doing; I didn't think "hanging around with a bunch of vampires and practising my superpowers" would be easy to swallow. So I told her how I had been getting to know Edward's family, shopping with Alice, letting Rosalie paint my nails, and beating Emmett hollow at fishing on the Wii.

Angela filled me in on Jessica and Mike getting caught necking behind the gym, although they hadn't minded much. Tyler had taken Lauren out to dinner, where she had been such a bitch that he had gone to the bathroom, climbed out the window, and left her to pay the bill.

Angela was describing the experiment Eric and Connor were trying to copy last week which resulted in filling building four with foul smelling smoke, when her parents came back home.

Angela's mom had gotten sick on the way to the airport, so they'd had to cancel their holiday. I hadn't even unpacked, so it was easy to sling my bag in the truck and drive home. Besides, I didn't want to catch anything.

Dad was surprised but pleased to see me back, and he took me to the diner to celebrate. I think he was secretly celebrating that he would not have to feed himself for the week. On Monday we ate the lasagne I had left him for Sunday, so on Tuesday I drove into Port Angeles to do a grocery shop at Safeway.

I parked and walked off to the stationery store to buy some supplies for school first. As I passed the Courthouse, I cut through the parking lot, skirting the edge backing onto the RV park. I froze as a woman appeared in front of me, her eyes as red as her hair. I turned around—surely I could walk away as long as I kept out in the open—only to come face to face with another pair of red eyes.

There was no way to escape the two of them, and with the Cullens all away hunting I had no chance of being rescued. I wondered if I would see Edward or any of the others again.

They herded me into the bushes. "She doesn't look very frightened," the redhead remarked. Pouting, she added, "She ought to at least look frightened."

"Your eyes are so pretty," I said, playing for time to think. "Such an unusual colour."

"She sounds retarded," the redhead commented, watching me with curiosity.

"They're the same colour as your hair, pretty lady_." If she thinks I'm retarded I may as well play along._

The redhead thought about that as she twisted a lock of hair between her fingers.

"Can I see your pretty eyes?" I beckoned them both nearer. "Pleeeease," I whined. They came right up to peer at my face.

"Amazing. She didn't even flinch," the male said.

"Is she really that dumb that she doesn't sense the danger?" the redhead mused.

"Pretty red eyes," I said, reaching a hand to each of them. Each hand connected with a cold hard forehead, and I mustered as much hurt and hate as I could…and blacked out.

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**AN. There are two particular areas that my betas wanted more drama—the meeting of Victoria with Alice, Jasper and Edward, and the end scene with Bella—apart from the fact that I suck at dramatic situations, I just wasn't feeling it. Carlisle has always influenced his family to tread the path of least resistance, and as long as Alice was safe, I felt that they would have kept things as calm as possible. As for Bella, I see her at this stage being fairly naïve, and naturally accepting of the supernatural.**

**The quileutes appear in the next chapter, but they are not werewolves.**


	13. Chapter 13 Magic

**AN. Firstly, I must apologise for not putting a chapter up last week. It was not ready, and I would not insult you wonderful readers with inferior work. I hope you all think it worth the wait, and thanks for sticking with me.**

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**Thanks as ever to my very busy and hard working betas, Angel Eyes1 uk and EvilPumpkin.**

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**I am still just playing with your guys, many thanks for the loan SM.**

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**Magic**

**Jacob's POV**

Dad had some Reservation business at the County Courthouse, so of course Sam had to come along. When that was out of the way, we pushed Dad over to the Safeway store to stock up on groceries. On our way back to the car, we had passed the RV park entrance, and were skirting the Courthouse into the parking lot when Dad came over all weird.

"Hold up," he ordered. I stopped pushing, and Sam rested the bags on the ground. "Do you feel that, Sam?"

I rolled my eyes, thinking we'd never get home, and wondering what they were feeling. I was feeling hungry.

"Yeah, it's coming from those bushes." Sam made to run off, but Dad got a hand on his arm.

Something about Dad was different, and I shuddered as if someone had walked over my grave.

"Take it easy," Dad warned. "You don't know what's in there. We'll go together, slowly." I pushed Dad into the bushes, closely followed by Sam. There lay the body of a young girl; I recognised her straight away.

"Bella!" I cried, leaving the wheelchair and running to the body. I knelt down and found a faint pulse. "She's still alive," I told Dad while Sam searched the area. I took out my cell, and flipped it open to dial 911.

"No!" Dad commanded. "Put your phone away, Jacob. An ambulance is no good to her."

"Didn't you hear me?" I shouted. "She's not dead." Even though I argued, I closed my phone.

"I heard you, son. Sam, bring the car as near as possible." As Sam obeyed, Dad tried to explain. "There is powerful magic here. We must get her to the Reservation. We are the only ones who can heal her_."_

_What_? I didn't understand. "Who's going to heal her?" I queried anxiously. Sam had pulled up in the car, and he came over. "Why can't I call an ambulance?" I persisted.

Ignoring me, Dad addressed Sam."You know how to lift her?" Sam nodded. "Take her in the back, and make sure to keep her safe." I watched mesmerised as Sam lifted her feet over his shoulder, sliding his body under hers until he could get his hands round her head. Very carefully he lifted her, scurrying over to the car, crawling onto the back seat still cradling her head.

"Jacob," Dad said. "Close the door, then help me in. You'll have to drive." I looked at him as if he were speaking another language. He may as well have been, because I hadn't understood anything since he'd made us stop. "Jacob!"

"Sure, sure. Whatever you say, Dad. It's not like I'm underage or anything, is it? And we can't possibly run into Charlie, not that he'd worry about me driving, not when he saw what we had in the back." I was babbling, and didn't stop all the way back to La Push. "Of course, there was _magic_ there—why wouldn't there be? Just as well we found her. What's wrong with a hospital?…"

"Jacob, drive as smoothly as you can. Can I have your cell, please?" I dug it out and handed it to Dad.

"Smooth, yeah. Take the cell, Dad. Don't bump her about, Jacob. Who needs doctors…" I muttered.

When we arrived at the reservation, Harry Clearwater flagged us down, and directed us to a clear patch of ground where a tent had been erected. Old Quil stood by the entrance, holding it wide. Harry soon had the car door open, and was helping Sam carry Bella to the tent.

"My chair, Jacob, please." I settled Dad into his wheelchair, and he said, "Wheel me into the tent, son. It's time for you to know the magic." I would have laughed if he hadn't been so serious, but instead a tingle ran up my spine to prickle my head like my hair stood on end.

**Billy's POV**

I had never felt the magic as strongly as I did outside the Courthouse, and it had never smelled like that either. Something drastic had happened there, and I was not surprised to find a body, only that it was Charlie's daughter. Relieved that she still had a pulse, I knew what must be done—at least in theory, though I had never experienced it myself.

Thank goodness Sam had been with us. I had not needed to explain anything, as he knew as much as I did. I had entrusted protection of her head to him, and shocked poor Jacob by instructing him to drive. By the time we arrived at La Push, the Elders had everything ready. What a sorry lot we were. Old Quil was very frail, and I was stuck in the chair, but at least Harry could help Sam carry her in.

This would not have been my choice of initiation for the young ones, but needs must. Jacob, Quil and Seth had to step up and accept their true place in the tribe.

**Carlisle's POV**

I felt so useless. Edward was distraught, and all I could do was check the hospital. It was a relief that she hadn't been brought in, but where was she? I was lucky to have my job to escape to; I couldn't take another minute of watching Esme's attempts to comfort him.

Away from the intensity that was home right now, my brain cleared and I had a terrible thought. When I got a moment, I called Carmen. I was very pleased to learn that Eleazar had spent the last two days and nights redecorating the girls' rooms.

On arriving home early on Thursday morning, I was met by Edward.

"We should go and see Charlie, Carlisle."

I sighed—we had been over this. "I already told you…"

Edward interrupted. "Charlie thinks she's at Angela's. He's probably not even looking."

"And just what are you going to say to him? My sister had a vision of Bella being attacked by two vampires, she looked dead or at least unconscious, but when we got there she was nowhere to be found?" Edward looked pleadingly at me. "We can't do anything until we know what we're dealing with, you know that," I told him gently. Edward turned away and slunk upstairs. It was killing him not being able to do anything.

**Nurse Jackie's POV**

Thursday evening and I had pulled the graveyard shift again. The only good thing about working nights in the ER was Dr. Cullen. He was always so focused and calm, constantly surprising us with his extensive knowledge—especially considering his young age. He wasn't just easy on the eyes either; he was always respectful of us nurses, never shouting at us, never short of encouragement, or time for a sympathetic word or two.

I sprinted through the main doors, heading for my locker before the charge nurse caught sight of me, straight into Dr. Cullen. "Sorry," I offered as I spun round and carried on, but he just stood there in a daze. I back-tracked, stunned. Dr. Cullen did not do dazed! "Are you okay?" I asked, my hand lightly on his shoulder.

"What? Oh, yes. Thank you," he muttered.

"Sure?" I pressed, and he appeared to snap out of it.

"Just fine. Thank you, Jackie. Hadn't you better get changed before Brenda catches you?"

"Right. You haven't seen me," I said with a wink. He gave me a thumbs up.

I managed to change and be on duty by the time Brenda, the charge nurse, surfaced. I kept an eye on Dr. Cullen—something was off, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

It was nearly two in the morning when I got the chance for a coffee. It had become obvious to me that Dr. Cullen was distracted tonight, so I bought one for him. He was in his office. I knocked and entered; he was staring at his computer screen, though his eyes were not focused.

"I've brought you a coffee, Dr. Cullen," I said, placing it in front of him. "You look like you need one tonight. Is everything alright at home?"

"Not really," he smiled. "Is it that obvious?"

"Anything I can help with?" I asked, sitting down.

"Teenagers," he sighed.

"Huh. Say no more. Hormones, tantrums, attitude, egos. My youngest started dating a very nice boy from La Push. I have to feel sorry for him. She's all over him one day and biting his head off the next."

"Yes, my youngest is having a few problems in his love life, too."

I rolled my eyes. "Makes you want to parcel them up with a label, 'do not open until their 25th birthday', doesn't it?"

"Don't tempt me," he laughed.

"I'd better get back," I said, standing up. "Come and find me if you want to talk anytime. Enjoy the coffee."

"Thanks, Jackie," he replied as I let the door swing shut.

**Carlisle's POV**

The longer Bella was missing, the more worried I became. I hadn't realised how much it had affected me until a nurse at the hospital brought me a cup of coffee. Thanks to my infallible memory I knew the names of everyone in the hospital, but I didn't normally engage them in conversation.

Jackie was very kind, and even though I couldn't tell her what was really troubling me, it took my mind off things for a minute. After she left, I found myself replaying our short exchange; something about it was bugging me. When I discerned that it was her mention of the Reservation that had bothered me, I wondered whether the Quileutes might have any insight.

When my shift ended at seven, I called Billy Black.

"Hello."

"Billy Black?"

"Who is this?"

"Please don't hang up, Billy. It's Carlisle Cullen. I must talk to you." I sensed him stiffen.

"There's nothing you could possi—"

I cut him off before he could put the phone down. "About Bella Swan."

"What about her?" he asked warily.

"She's missing. She disappeared from Port Angeles three days ago."

"What makes you think that?"

"We don't think it, we know. She ran into some trouble near the County Courthouse. We tried to get to her, but she was gone."

"How did you know she was in trouble? What is she to _you_?"

"We look out for each other, and since Edward's been seeing Bella—" I didn't get chance to go on.

"What?" Billy was shocked. "I had no idea! What have you done to her?"

"I told you, Billy. We just didn't get to her in time."

"You can stop worrying. We have her." With that, Billy slammed the phone down. I replayed the exchange in my head; something was wrong. If they had Bella, why would he ask what we'd done to her? Did that mean she was hurt? I had to speak to him again. I called him back.

"If she's hurt, maybe I can help," I offered.

"You've done enough," he said gruffly.

"We have done nothing, Billy. Nothing." There was no point in getting angry. "Can we meet and talk about this? Please." There was a long silence before Billy answered.

"We found her. There was strong magic around her. Her spirit still wanders—you would say she is in a coma."

"I'm not sure what you mean by magic, but Bella has a certain power that affects…our kind. She has been working on it with us."

"So the magic is in Bella. Charlie must have a Quileute ancestor. Maybe that's why Harry and I are drawn to him; we get along so well." Billy was thinking out loud.

"Will you meet with me?" I urged.

Another silence while he mulled it over. "You. No one else. Somewhere public, and I'll be bringing three others."

"The treaty still stands," I stated, thereby warning Billy not to try anything, and also reassuring him that I would honour our agreement. "The Forks Coffee Shop in half an hour."

**Billy Black's POV**

I did not like the idea of meeting with one of _them_, but I guessed that if I had to trust one it would be Carlisle Cullen—after all, my Grandfather had. I sent Jacob to fetch Sam Uley and Harry Clearwater, who thought I was out of my mind when they heard my intentions.

Nevertheless, we were sitting in the Forks Coffee Shop twenty-eight minutes later. Sam, Harry, and Jacob had managed to squeeze down one side of a booth, and I was positioned at the end in my chair. One minute later, _he_ came in and sat down opposite.

"Thank you for coming, gentlemen," he began. I nodded in acknowledgement. "You say that Bella is in a coma?"

"I say her spirit is wandering another realm, which would appear as a coma," I corrected him. "We need to encourage her spirit back to her body. Any details about what might have happened may help."

"We were…er…hiking, when one of us had a vision." He explained about this strange visionary talent. "She saw Bella being attacked by two vampires."

"Two? Are you sure?" It had never occurred to me that more than one bloodsucker might have been around. Apart from the Cullens, they were mostly solitary. Two would most likely mean they were mates.

"Quite sure. Alice is never wrong about these things, although she hasn't been able to see Bella since."

"Is it possible that she could destroy two of them?" I wondered out loud. "If not, one could still be out there." One bereft mate would be very dangerous.

"Alice has been searching. She has not seen either."

If it was possible two were destroyed we should cleanse the area again. Late Tuesday night, Sam had taken Jacob, Quil and Seth back to where Bella was found, to perform their first official task for the tribe by cleansing the area. With the slightest possibility that a vampire had been destroyed, a cleansing was necessary to be certain it could never find a way back.

Killing one vampire took an enormous amount of magic. It was inconceivable that two could have been destroyed by one small girl. But wasn't it also inconceivable that Bella could be running around with one vampire, let alone a whole coven?

"You say that Bella had been working on the magic? Describe what she has been doing." I would not have believed anything he said, had Bella not been laying inert at the Reservation. It would seem over the few months Bella had been practising, she had developed more skill with the magic than I had witnessed in my lifetime. If. When we got her back, we would need to instruct her in the finer points, without which she had been crudely playing with fire. Then I heard words that all but stopped my heart from beating.

"Those two were after her because Edward killed their companion. Of course, he had no choice since the nomad had bitten Bella."

"Bella was bitten by a vampire?" I was outraged. I would have been on my feet if my legs had worked. Sam was half way out of his seat, but Harry had held him back.

"How is that possible?" Harry asked. "She is not one of them."

"Edward sucked the venom out before the change had properly begun."

I had no idea that was even possible. This was important information, and I thought it over. I could not ignore the fact that it might affect Bella's way back to her body. Much as it galled me, I had no choice.

"You had better come to the Reservation." My eyes were on the leech as his eyebrows shot up in surprise, but I could feel the others' similar reactions. He quickly composed himself.

"If it will help Bella, and if I have your word that no harm will befall me." The leech glared pointedly at Sam, who had not sat back down. "Then I will be happy to come."

**Jacob's POV**

I thought my Dad must have lost his marbles. I fetched Sam and Harry, only to hear Billy tell them that we were going to meet a vampire in the Forks Coffee Shop. I waited for them to break into laughter. They told Billy he was mad alright—not for thinking Dr. Cullen could be a vampire, but for doing something so dangerous as to meet him.

It had been bad enough last Tuesday, when I had pushed Dad into the tent after Bella. Quil and Seth were in there, looking just as creeped out as me. Things got weirder as we were told all about the magic of our tribe, and then sent to Port Angeles with Sam to "cleanse" it.

We'd been kept home from school, and spent hours in that tent watching the elders and joining in some of the chanting. Apparently, we would now have to attend Tribe Council Meetings, too.

I had thought it strange, the way my Dad disliked the Cullens and had refused to let any of us go to the hospital since Dr. Cullen started work there. But a vampire? Then he had told me that all seven of them were vampires! At the coffee shop my brain went into meltdown, unable to take in any more information—until I heard Billy ask Dr. Cullen to the Rez. My jaw hit the floor.

**Carlisle's POV**

They had Bella laid on an inflatable mattress in a tent, watched over by an old man. I gave her a quick examination—everything seemed normal and she could have been asleep. We sat down then to discuss the situation. Billy told the old man, Quil Ateara, about the bite, and Quil took a look at the scar. He also explained to me the process of calling the spirit back to the body, which so far had not been successful.

We discussed involving Charlie, as his pull would be strong, being family and apparently sharing Quileute blood. Billy would not take the chance that being Chief of Police would prove to be too much of a conflict; the Quileutes didn't need that kind of attention any more than we did.

We debated what effect the venom might have had on her system. It was unknown territory for all of us, but having the gist of how this worked, I was forming an idea. Eventually I had to speak up.

"I think Edward should be here," I said. All eyes trained on me.

"One of you is enough." I could see Harry spoke for them all.

"Edward may have only known her for a short while, but their connection is very deep. He is also the one who took the venom from her into his own body." I paused slightly, unsure if I should carry on, before adding softly, "Along with her blood." There was a general outcry, but Billy was silent, thinking.

"I have to agree. It does make sense." Fortunately, as chief, Billy overruled the rest. I took out my cell and called Edward.

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**AN. So, what did you like/dislike? We don't have far to go now, and I will be sad as I don't have another story at the moment. R&R.**


	14. Chapter 14 Healing

**AN. No Royal Wedding is going to stop me getting this to you, my loyal readers! I hope you enjoy this and fully understand the magic that the electricity turned out to be.**

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**Much kudos to EvilPumpkin and Angel Eyes1 UK for dotting my I's and crossing my T's. When you're not sending me round the twist, you girls keep me sane.**

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**Disclaimer. They still don't belong to me. Folds arms and pouts.**

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**Healing**

**Edward's POV**

I was playing the piano, trying to ignore Esme's worried thoughts that Carlisle should be home by now. It was not unusual for him to stay later at the hospital, but he always managed to call Esme. She refused to disturb him, trying to convince herself that he must be dealing with a major incident, and scanning TV channels for news. I didn't need more worry, I was barely keeping my shit together sick with worry for Bella.

My cell vibrated in my pocket—Carlisle. Why was he ringing me, not Esme?

"Carlisle, where are you? Esme's so worried."

Of course, she'd heard me and tried to take the phone. "If that's Carlisle, Edward, let me speak to him."

"Esme, honey, I'm sorry I didn't call. I've been in a meeting and will be for a while yet. I have to talk to Edward. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Oh, alright," she sighed, and walked off.

I put the cell back to my ear."I'm here, Carlisle."

"Don't freak out or anything, Edward, but I'm with the Quileutes on the reservation."

"You're what?…How?…Why?…Obviously you're still alive. What do they want?" My brain was struggling to compute this information. Did this mean the treaty was broken?

"Edward, I want you to stay very calm. Bella is here." _Bella? She's alive? She's alive!_

"Is she alright? Are you bringing her home?"

"She's…okay." Carlisle was hesitant.

"Okay? What does that mean?"

"Edward, I need you to come to the reservation."

"Are you mad?" _Maybe Bella's in trouble_. "Should I bring Emmett and Jasper?"

"No. Absolutely not." How I wished I could read minds over the phone.

"If we need to rescue her then—"

Carlisle cut me off. "Bella is being cared for here. She's unconscious and we need you to help bring her round."

"But the treaty?"

"Is unbroken. I am here at Chief Billy Black's request, and you will be, too." I was relieved to hear that, though I would have gone for Bella, regardless.

"I'm on my way," I told Carlisle.

"Sam Uley will meet you on the treaty line." I closed the cell.

"_Edward!_" I clutched my head as Alice's mind and voice pierced my brain in stereo.

"I'm here, Alice. Please don't shout." Alice flew down the stairs.

"What did you just decide?" she demanded in an accusatory voice.

"Nothing of any consequence," I lied.

"Before she disappeared, Bella had been getting fainter in my visions."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't realise. I thought it was just we vampires that were too bright in comparison. Then as you know, after that last vision, I've not seen her again,"

"Don't worry about that, Alice. Carlisle has found Bella and I'm going to fetch her."

"Oh! That's good. I can stop dodging Esme now. I've been avoiding her since Carlisle disappeared from my sight, too, and now you've disappeared from my visions. Where are you going?"

"To the reservation."

Alice gave a nervous laugh. "You're not serious?" I nodded. "No wonder you disappeared. What about the treaty?"

"We won't let you go alone." Jasper spoke from behind me.

"The three of us should take them all out easy," Emmett added, walking in the door. Of course, my brothers had heard.

"I'm not going to fight," I said, turning to face them. Emmett was shadow boxing.

"But without the treaty…" Jasper began to argue.

"The treaty stands. Carlisle is there with the chief's permission."

"Carlisle's there?" they exclaimed together. I ignored their outburst.

"I will be met by one of them."

"We'll go with you."

"No." They argued with me and I became irritated, wasting time when I needed to get to Bella. "Alright! Come with me, but stay out of sight and whatever you do, don't break the treaty!"

"We can listen from the treaty line, ready to help if you need us."

"Thank you, Jasper. Okay, Emmett?" Emmett reluctantly agreed, and off we ran.

When I heard Sam's thoughts, I instructed Emmett and Jasper to stay hidden, and slowed to a more human pace as I left the trees.

"Don't worry, I don't like this any more than you do," I told Sam.

"Make sure you stay with me," he replied. "No going walkabout."

"I only want to see Bella."

"Come on, then." Sam ran pretty fast for a human, and was soon leading me into a tent. I gasped as I saw the deathly pale, insignificant looking body lying on a mattress.

"Her heart," I faltered. "It's beating too slowly." I felt a hand on my shoulder—it was Carlisle.

"But it is beating, Edward. It has been steady since I arrived, so I don't think it's a problem." I covered his hand with mine.

"Thanks, Carlisle." I hadn't taken my eyes off Bella's face, and now I leaned toward her. The Quileutes in the tent all tensed, and one in my line of vision took a step closer to me. I gave him a glare that would have made Rosalie proud, and leaning down, I pressed my lips to her forehead. Straightening up, I gently traced the contours of her face with one hand. "Wherever you are, my love, I'll find you," I promised, scanning the thoughts in the tent and gleaning the need for some kind of ritual.

"Gentlemen," I said. "Shall we begin?" Billy Black stepped forward, quickly introducing himself and the six other men present. The three youngest were only observers, and he advised them to stand silently out of the way. After brief instructions to Carlisle and myself, the ritual commenced.

Sam pushed Billy to Bella's side, and he leaned out of his chair to place his left hand on Bella's forehead with his thumb on her right temple. Billy closed his eyes, threw his head back, and called out.

"I, Billy Black, invoke the magic. I summon forth the ancestors, and all kindred spirits willing to guide this lost soul home." He looked up and nodded to Harry Clearwater. Harry stepped up and took Billy's right hand in his left, closed his eyes, and after a shifty glance to Carlisle and I, put his head back and repeated Billy's words.

Harry looked to Billy, who nodded at Carlisle. Carlisle went to take Harry's right hand in his left, and there was an arc of orange from Harry's finger to Carlisle's. Carlisle pulled his hand back and eyed Billy. I crouched, ready to spring to Carlisle's aid.

"It will be alright," Billy assured him. "The magic must pass through the circle."

I could read the doubt in Carlisle's mind and followed his train of thought as he convinced himself to go ahead. He was willing to sacrifice himself to give this a chance of working; I tensed.

"No," he said. I straightened from my crouch. _Please, Edward, don't risk yourself as well. If anything happens, leave me be. Let the Quileutes tend me if they can_. I stared with anguish as our eyes locked_. Do not interfere. Bella needs you_. I gave him the briefest nod of acquiescence.

Carlisle focused intently on Billy until he saw the trust he was searching for, and he grabbed hold of Harry's hand. He was hit with pain that forced him to his knees.

"Let it flow through you," Billy said. Carlisle began to cite the words, and the pain lessened, letting him relax, allowing the magic to travel across his body. Billy nodded to Sam, and the instant he reached across Bella's feet to clasp Carlisle's hand any residual pain was gone. Carlisle regained his feet and smiled at me. _It's bearable, Edward_.

After Sam, Quil joined the circle. All too quickly it was my turn. Carlisle was bombarding me with encouraging and calming thoughts, but I was studying Billy's mind to ensure I did everything correctly. I gazed at Bella, reminding myself why I was doing this, and took Quil's hand.

I expected the pain, and speedily uttered the words that appeared to dissipate it. I placed my right hand on Bella's forehead next to Billy's, linking our little fingers, making sure that my thumb was resting on her temple. Billy nodded, and we all closed our eyes, mentally calling on ancestors, spirits, and anyone or anything we thought could help.

This was the most difficult part for me, as Billy had cautioned us not to try and reach Bella or call her. It was vitally important to let the others bring her spirit close to us; we had to trust Billy to know when to reach for her. I concentrated hard on my parents and Bella's grandparents, tracing Billy's mind.

**AN. Sadly, this journey is coming to an end. Next week I should be posting the last piece. If you have been along for the ride, it would be nice to hear what you thought of it.**

**I am not offering a teaser, as the chapter is short. I do however, promise a last glimpse of Emmett and Jasper.**


	15. Chapter 15 Which Way is Home?

**AN. A huge thank you to EvilPumpkin and Angel Eyes1 uk for sticking with me the whole way, correcting all my faux pas, and enticing the best from me. You guys are the best!**

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**As usual, I have no claim on anything except the magic.**

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**Which Way is Home?**

**Bella's POV**

When I opened my eyes, I couldn't see anything. There was no light anywhere. Never had I experienced such total darkness, but I was not afraid. I considered that I might be dead, and that the vampires had killed me. I was trying to make sense of it, work out where I was, when I got the sensation that I was moving. I could not feel my legs or feet, so it was more a sense of gliding, or maybe it wasn't me that was moving, but everything around me.

I gradually became aware that I was not alone, in the same way that I knew when Edward entered a room. I was completely blind, yet sensed that many people were with me. More and more of them appeared in my consciousness, pushing and jostling. How I knew that, I didn't know, because there was no physical contact. There were so many of them now that I became afraid. The intensity waned as they appeared to back off, and I relaxed.

Soon the jostling began again, but this time I felt more comfortable with it and went with the flow, allowing them to lead me. Eventually I saw a faint area where the darkness was slightly faded. As I approached it, it became a light. I was fascinated as it slowly opened up into a glade where there was a tent. I didn't enter the tent, yet I found myself inside.

Looking around, I saw three young men on the periphery, and a group of men huddled in the centre. They all were glowing, almost like flames, although those outside the circle only shone dimly. I couldn't make out their features, only the colour of the glow around them. I counted four who were varying depths of orange. Another was a very pale yellow with a red tinge to the edges, and the last was a beautiful amber with a vivid poppy red edging.

I floated closer, amused by the fact that if I could see my feet they would not be on the ground, and then focused on the group. There was something, or maybe someone, lying on a mattress. I homed in on the first orange flame, abruptly recognising Billy Black, then Harry Clearwater became evident, followed by Carlisle Cullen, a couple of faces that I knew but could not put a name to, and finally, Edward.

At the sight of Edward, I was filled with an intense feeling of love and longing.

"Bella," he barely breathed, smiling at me, then glancing down.

I followed his gaze, only to stare into my own face. Was this how people saw me? I looked ill, and why was I sleeping? I was awake and here, so how come I was there? There couldn't be two of me, so was I really dead? At that second, an orange spark arced from a spot on the head, where Billy and Edward's hands joined, straight toward me. I shrank from it in my confusion, shocked and afraid, and found myself back outside the tent.

**Edward's POV**

I knew when Bella was near; I could feel her presence even without the confirmation in Billy's mind. Relieved, I smiled in the direction Billy saw her, then glanced down at her face on the mattress. I needed her here, in my arms.

Next thing I knew, an orange spark left our joined fingers and shot toward her. Just like that, she was gone.

"Idiot!" Billy hissed so quietly that if I didn't have vampire hearing, I would have missed it.

I gathered from his thoughts that I had done the very thing he told me not to, reached for her too soon and frightened her away. How could I be so stupid? If we didn't get her back now, I'd never forgive myself.

**Jasper's POV**

"Who's there?" I was fearful.

Emmett and I had been waiting on our side of the river that marked the treaty line. We were motionless, not even breathing, alert to any signal that Carlisle or Edward were in danger. To a casual observer we must have resembled statues, not even needing to blink.

Without warning, I was hit by a medley of emotions: fear, confusion, loss, anger, regret. I was at a loss as to where they originated, causing my exclamation. Emmett reacted to my outburst, his eyes and ears rapidly scanning the area.

"Jazz, man, there's no heartbeat, even on their side. We'd hear the heartbeat!"

"Nevertheless, there is someone here," I insisted.

"Could it be one of us? Could they be masking somehow, maybe a shield?"

"No, the emotions are too human."

"But without a heartbeat, it doesn't make sense," Emmett argued.

I agreed—it didn't make any sense. As I studied the fear, which was the strongest emotion and had elicited my reaction, I sensed that it was more akin to that of a small child when faced with an unknown situation.

Well, whoever and wherever they were, I sent out a wave of calm and peace. All the emotions waned, to be replaced with an intense love which drifted into gratitude.

"Jazz, quit with the silly grin. You're freakin' me out!" Emmett complained. "What's going on?"

"Whoever it was is gone," I said, not knowing what else to tell him.

**Bella's POV**

I was drifting away from the tent, not understanding what had happened or exactly where I was. I was confused and angry, not knowing where to go; just running from the scene that had upset me. I caught a flash of light as it shimmered on water, and followed it to a river. The light refractions fascinated me, and I let myself be wafted along the river, mesmerised as I observed them, my mind still reeling.

I thought it was the bright sparkles that had calmed my mind, but as a wave of peace washed over me, it came from somewhere below. Peering down to the river shore, I saw two figures. As I brought them into focus, I recognised them, and was filled with love for Edward's brothers, as they kept watch for him. I silently thanked them for their vigilance, and for the calm that I now knew Jasper had sent me.

Now I knew what was important—I needed to be with Edward, and Edward was in the tent. It seemed just thinking about it was enough to return me to him; this time I would not be afraid. I approached the huddle of men, searching out Edward's eyes, and concentrated only on them, letting myself be drawn in.

The electricity arced again and as soon as it touched me, I could hear them, all six of them—all of their words and notions. _This is how Edward must feel all the time_, I thought, and his mind became dominant.

_Come back to me, Bella. I need you so much. Please, you belong in my arms._

"Edward," I said, and opened my eyes.

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**AN. Well, I can't believe our ride is over. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as me, and can I remind you that it's your last chance to let me know how you feel. I would especially like to thank Marieke, Leanne and Becky for your reviews and support.  
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**I have been debating the idea of an epilogue, or even a sequel, and would like to know if y'all are interested.**


	16. Sequel

A big "Hey there" to all of you who have this story on alert or in your favourites. I promised that I would post here to let you know when the sequel was coming. Well, it's here! I am going to post the first chapter right after this. I've called it Power, and it's a lot longer than Electricity.

I know it's been a while, but I'm surprised where it's taken me. It's been a heck of a journey finding out what/who Bella is, and I've even learned to love Jacob—the one in my story anyway. Lol

Please, go read. I wrote it for all of you.


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